Canadian filmmaker R.T. Throne’s long-time-in-the-making Ontario-shot dystopian thriller 40 Acres, starring Danielle Deadwyler, gets its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In a post-apocalyptic future where food is scarce, the last descendants of a Black family of farmers who settled in Canada after the American Civil War must protect their homestead from an organized militia hell-bent on taking their land.
Former soldier Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler) and her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) made the decision years ago to flee the collapse of society for a farm in the middle of nowhere, teaching their children how to fight off other people who will kill them to eat their crops and take their farm, or cannibals, who will kill them for food.
But when Hailey’s eldest son Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) meets a young woman (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in the forest, his need for human contact places the whole family in jeopardy.
Beneath the surface of a suspenseful thriller, 40 Acres is a story about Hailey [Danielle Deadwyler], an ex-military matriarch trying to prepare her children for an unforgiving world and how her philosophy clashes with views of her eldest son Emmanuel [Kataem O’Connor] — R.T. Thorne to Deadline: Hollywood..
Related: Canadian Filmmaker R.T. Thorne’s Dystopian 40 Acres Starts Filming in Sudbury, Ontario
Like most of Thorne’s work, social issues and culture perspectives such as Black womanhood in Canada, drove this project.
The key elements for me in making [40 Acres] is to tell a story about a middle-aged Black woman and her relationship with her son. Obviously it comes from my mother being a very strong presence in my life, but also Black women in many mainstream movies do not play a central role. They don’t get that shine, especially middle age [women]. The industry is very ageist. — R.T. Thorne to now magazine in Toronto in 2018.
R.T. Thorne made his debut on the Canadian music video scene a decade ago and has directed and produced episodic television for years, including BET & CBC’s historical drama The Porter about the first Black union and recently an episode of Prime Video’s Cross with Aldin Hodge.
40 Acres:
Sudbury filming dates: September 13 2023 – October 25 2023.
Writers: R.T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor.
Director: R.T. Thorne.
Cast: Danielle Deadvyler, Kataem O’Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson.
Producers: Mongrel Media, Waterford Valley, Hungry Eyes Media.