Daniel Garber talks with Gillian McKercher about her film Lucky Star premiering at ReelAsian
Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.
It’s a snowy December in Calgary, Alberta, and the Lee family is preparing for Christmas. Both parents run small businesses; Lucky, the dad, has a small electronic repair shop while Noel, the mom, tailors made-to-measure mens’ suits. Their older daughter Grace is on the verge of becoming the family’s first professional, while their youngest is still a pre-teen. But when Lucky gets a call from Revenue Canada demanding his back taxes, he springs into action, digging up all his savings with a quickie loan to pay the difference. When he 
discovers all his money went to a con artist, he is mortified by his own mistake. But this is not his first brush with financial ruin; Lucky has a dark history as a compulsive poker player. Should he come clean to his family? Or will a deck of cards be Lucky’s Lucky Star?
Lucky Star is also the name of a new Canadian drama set within Calgary’s close-knit Chinese community. It’s a complex, multi-layered story full of secrets and lies, suspense and suspicion. The film is writer/director Gillian McKercher’s second feature, and she’s a rising star herself, after a residency at the Canadian Film Centre and on Playback’s Top 10 To Watch for 2024.
I spoke with Gillian McKercher in Calgary, Alberta, via ZOOM from Toronto. Gillian talked about her film, the prairies, winter, history, second-generation diaspora, playing poker… and more!
Lucky Star had its Toronto premiere at the TIFF Lightbox as part of the ReelAsian Film Festival.
Daniel Garber talks with Drew Hayden Taylor about Going Native
Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.
What do vintage wine, comic book superheroes, bison burgers, rap music, survival techniques, sea monsters and the Calgary stampede all have in common? Nothing at first glance. But dig a bit deeper and you’ll find they’re all tied to — and parts of — contemporary indigenous life. A culture that’s being reclaimed, rejigged and rebooted even as we speak… while the rest of the world is just starting to “go native”.
Going Native is also the name of a new, 13-part TV series, that
covers a wide range of topics, from gourmet food to pop culture, storytelling to spirituality. It’s slick, funny, fast-moving and always surprising. The series is produced, co-written and hosted by Drew Hayden Taylor, the widely-known indigenous novelist, playwright, columnist and humorist.
I spoke to Drew Hayden Taylor via Zoom.
Going Native is having its world premier on APTN on May 8th.
Daniel Garber talks with Darcy Michael about his new movie Lloyd the Conquerer
Hi, This is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.
There’s a malevolent presence in South Calgary that threatens the peace, order and good government
of the people playing there. No, I’m not talking about Harper, this is a new Canadian comedy movie about LARPers.
Comedian, actor and Vancouver-based all-around celeb
Lloyd The Conquerer illustrations by Evan Williams
Darcy Michael tells me
about this film, the life of a stand-up comic, and his own personal ups and downs.
He’s performing in Toronto at Yuk Yuk’s this weekend, at Massey Hall on New Year’s Eve; Lloyd the Conquerer opens today.
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