CROSS

An Indigenous woman, Sarah, tells her grandson, Devin, a story about when she was thought to be possessed by a demon in Residential School...

  • Tyrel Lougheed
    Director
  • Tyrel Lougheed
    Writer
  • Tyrel Lougheed
    Producer
    This Modern Love, HallowQueens
  • Angela Boelsma
    Producer
  • Ladonna Cree
    Key Cast
    "Sarah"
  • Izayah Muckle-Dupras
    Key Cast
    "Devin"
  • Nitasha Costa
    Key Cast
    "Denise"
    This Modern Love
  • Mark White
    Key Cast
    "Carl"
    This Modern Love
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 25, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Tyrel Lougheed

Tyrel Lougheed lives in Edmonton, Alberta with their husband, Taylor. Tyrel started their little production company, WendyGoGo Productions, in 2022 when they produced their first short film, THIS MODERN LOVE. After touring the short film to festivals in different parts of the world, Tyrel set out on tackling another short focusing on residential school traumas.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My Grandfather was a Residential School survivor. He was removed from his home as a young boy and was taught to hate the Indian side of himself. This trauma seeped down into the next generation of our family with my mother and her siblings, many of whom went to church and ignored the Indian part of themselves.

Growing up half-Indigenous and half white was a difficult pill to swallow at times, but I've learned to love all of me and understand the damage my grandfather went through.

Cross tells an imaginary story because my Grandfather couldn't talk much about his experiences. I had to learn in school what happened to our people through limited resources.

A two-spirit actor, Ladonna Cree, plays the Gran character as a representation of another part of us that was lost through colonization. Homophobia is a western mindset and I felt Ladonna showcased hope in our elders for what was lost.