Made in New Brunswick film back home after international success

A feature-length film, made in New Brunswick, is having its national theatrical launch this week, after doing the festival circuit, and you can see it in local theatres.

Director Arianna Martínez’s feature-length directorial debut film, Do I know you from somewhere?, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2024.

This marked the first time in a decade that a film made in New Brunswick had had its launch at Canada’s most prestigious film event. The film was also selected for the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax and the Busan International Film Festival in Korea, amongst others.

Martínez is a Fredericton-based filmmaker, playwright, actress, mom and educator. She is a prolific writer with a number of plays and scripts under her belt. In an interview, Martínez has said about her choice to stay in the province: “Making films in New Brunswick is like magic. There is so much raw talent here that is just waiting to shine. I’ve never experienced so much generosity, resourcefulness, or genuine desire to be a part of something in any other facet of my life. People here just want to help.”

Martínez is a co-founder of Strike Pictures, a local production company that has achieved great success with award-winning short films in the past. Along with her collaborators Gordon Mihan and Lance Blakney, the small but mighty team has been producing impressive films for years.

Do I know you from somewhere?  is an impeccable microcosm of their creative spirit. From a script co-written by Martinez and Mihan, the trio pitched and then received the Talent to Watch funding from Telefilm, which then helped them secure provincial funding as well. With just micro-budget funding, they were able to create a complex and beautiful film that has been impressing festivals up against films with much bigger budgets.

The resulting feature is an amazing tribute to its makers and New Brunswick’s talent pool.

Do I know you from somewhere?, in its themes, speaks of dejà vu, dream worlds and parallel lives lived. It is a thoughtful, creative film that asks the audience to consider possibilities and think of their own lives and circumstances, asking them: What if?

The main character, Olive, a guidance counsellor, is played by the vibrant Caroline Bell. Olive’s past, present and imagined life intermingle to create a film which, while wonderous and meandering, occasionally creeps toward horror, especially thanks to Zachary Greer’s music.

Olive’s reality becomes one that is separated by two possible life tracks: The first relationship with waiter turned woodworker Benny, played affably by Ian Ottis Goff, and the second with Ada, played with great subtlety by Mallory Amirault.

All the actors chosen by Martinez and her team are skilled. In her film debut, Caroline Bell is from Saint John and studied at George Brown Theatre School. Bell’s presence on film is undeniable and she will surely have a long career. Opposite her, Goff has acted in a number of local productions but also participated in larger Hollywood projects. Acadian and Mi’kmaq, Amirault is a writer and performance artist from Nova Scotia, who published a poetic prose book called Brine in 2021.

In supporting roles, three actors stood out: Gillian Salmon as Olive’s gregarious best friend, Stella, Megan Murphy as one of Olive’s millennial students, and Gordon Mihan himself as a technician for a play.

The film showcases New Brunswick’s beauty through wonderful shots of nature, but also does a fine job of creating lovely sets and making the best of locales with varied cinematography by Lance Blakney. Blakney’s camera shots, often from unusual angles, pair well with the film’s themes.

The filmmakers are holding Q&As during screenings in Fredericton (May 30, sold out), Saint John (June 2), and Moncton (June 4). The film is showing at Cineplex theatres in the three cities and across Canada.

Sophie M. Lavoie is a member of the NB Media Co-op’s editorial board.