Elle-Maija Tailfeathers and Violet Nelson in The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open.Experimental Forest Films
The acclaimed Canadian drama film The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open has won another major honour.
The Toronto Film Critics Association has given the Indigenous story, which was written and directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, its 2019 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.
The prize, which comes with $100,000, was presented at a gala Thursday night.
Tailfeathers also stars, alongside Violet Nelson, in the story of two Indigenous strangers from different social backgrounds who bond over the course of one night.
Nelson plays a pregnant young woman fleeing an abusive relationship.
The runners-up for the best Canadian film award were Antigone by Sophie Deraspe and Firecrackers by Jasmin Mozaffari.
Those two directors each received $5,000 from Rogers Communications.
Earlier this week The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open won several awards from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, including best Canadian film.
The story also been heralded by critics in the U.S. and named one of the top 10 Canadian movies of 2019 by the Toronto International Film Festival.
Other winners at Thursday’s TFCA gala included actor-director Deragh Campbell, who stars in Anne at 13,000 ft and got the Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an emerging artist.
Previously announced 2019 TFCA winners include Bong Joon-ho’s dark social satire Parasite for best picture, best director and best foreign film.
Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story won two acting awards, for lead star Adam Driver and supporting cast member Laura Dern.
Lupita Nyong’o took best actress for her work in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us.
And Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman won for best screenplay.