Running time: 10:27
Robert W. Service’s narrative poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew was first published in 1907 in Canada as part of a collection called The Songs of a Sourdough (published in the United States as The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses). The book has sold more than 3 million copies since first published, making it the most sold book of poetry in the twentieth century. Along with The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Shooting of Dan McGrew is considered the most famous of Serviceʼs works. Dan McGrew has previously been adapted to film several times, creating a challenge for Yukon-born Braden Brickner. Fortunately for us, he has risen to the occasion with a visceral, gritty, emotional rendition that speaks to the human condition in terms of greed, jealousy, betrayal, love and revenge. The film showcases the Klondike as a vast, beautiful and dangerous setting; full of interesting, outlandish and relatable characters.
Braden Brickner is a Calgary-based filmmaker originally from Whitehorse, Yukon. A graduate of SAIT’s Film and Video Production Program, Braden’s first project as writer/ director outside of SAIT was a short film called There Are Strange Things Done in the Midnight Sun (2012), a gritty western exploring greed and obsession in the far north during the gold rush. Midnight Sun has appeared in festivals in both Dawson City and Calgary. Braden has just recently completed his latest project entitled The Shooting of Dan McGrew (2014), an adapted short film based on the world-famous poem by Robert W. Service produced with the support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. McGrew further explores themes of obsession, greed, and solitude.
