Expired January 1, 2021 7:59 AM
Already unlocked? for access
This film is eligible for the WFF Audience Award for Best Feature! The voting period has closed. Stay tuned for the results!
Protected ContentThis content can only be viewed in authorized regions: Canada.
Shot in Regina, and financed by the Telefilm Talent Fund, this is an astute first feature from Sam Flamont about a young man named Finn who is sent to a medium security prison for six months for killing a wounded deer. Finn is a quiet boy who likes to keep to himself, but there are some very scary fellows in the prison., including big hairy men who threaten the lives and the sexuality of their fellow inmates.

Soon after arriving, Finn meets M, a charismatic inmate that Finn immediately bonds with, who shows him the ropes. Finn runs afoul of Tony, a violent predator who doesn’t take it kindly when Finn dares to ward off his advances.

Shot in the square 1:33 ratio, MERCY is an old-fashioned guy-in-prison movie that may recall SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION in the minds of some viewers.The cast is multiracial, with Indigenous, black and Asian actors. In fact, producer Dawn Bird, with roots in Nelson, BC works as an Indigenous actor when not producing Regina based films for others. Shawn Koch who plays the scary Tony character actually made another movie this year with lead Logan Mainil called CAGEFIGHTER.

With MERCY, there are frequent cutaways to open fields and scenes from Finn’s past, so the film does not feel overly claustrophobic given its subject matter. Finn’s search for inner peace culminates in a rousing indigenous song and dance ceremony. Like all good prison movies, MERCY is as much about the search for internal peace as for external liberation.
  • Year
    2020
  • Runtime
    87 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    Canada
  • Premiere
    World Premiere
  • Rating
    Contains violence, strong language, nudity, sexual content
  • Director
    Sam Flamont
  • Screenwriter
    Dustin Griffin
  • Producer
    Dawn Bird
  • Executive Producer
    Lioz Bouganin
  • Cast
    Bryan Englund, Logan Mainil, Josh Strait, Matthew Wilson, Dawn Bird, George Grassick, Duane Leicht, Jason Truong, Micaele Johnson, Shawn Koch, Ron Anderson, Darren Zimmer, Bongani Musa, Omari Wilson, Geri Hack, Ryland Alexander, Shaun Salen, Jason Bryant, Angus Vincent, Devon Oman, Joey Reynolds
  • Cinematographer
    Mohammad Daud
  • Editor
    Trevor Aikman
  • Composer
    Tyler Gillis
  • Sound Design
    Brent (Tbone) Blazieko