The film “Sweetland” Directed by Christian Sparkes and adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Crummey follows the story of protagonist Moses (played by Mark Lewis Jones) as he grapples with the resettlement of his outport community Sweetland in Newfoundland and Labrador in the 2010s. Moses is a retired fisherman struggling to accept the fate of his town. His outright refusal to accept the resettlement package from the provincial government antagonizes him against some of the other residents of his community, later isolating him as a result.
Sweetland premiered at the Scotiabank Theatre in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Friday, May 3rd to a sold-out audience. With a red carpet just outside the theatre, audience members and media gathered around emanating excitement over the screening of the film. Sparkes, Crummey, and producer Allison White were all present for the screening and Q&A that followed.
The audience erupted in applause when the line of credits began to roll, bringing the screening to a close. You could feel a sense of pride and appreciation from having been immersed in a cultural experience that feels somewhat close to home. As Newfoundlanders, we have begun to see more and more representations of our culture and history in cinema, nonetheless, there will never be a group of people more proud to witness artistry highlighting the lived experiences of their own.
While both the novel and film follow a clear storyline centred around the provincial resettlement program that began in Newfoundland back in the 1960s, Crummey explained during the Q&A that as he was writing the novel he realized during the second half that there was more to the story than just resettlement— further stating that his father’s battle with cancer had an impact on his writing and influenced how the story progressed; saying that “resettlement became a metaphor for the terminal diagnoses that we all face.”
Without giving away any spoilers, the theme of mortality does become clear in the film during Moses’ time of solitude and isolation.
When discussing the differing meanings that Crummey, Sparkes, and White have all taken from the story, Sparkes explains that the novel is a “beautiful elegy to this place and [he] just wanted to do it justice”— which he most certainly did.
In contrast to the novel, the film does differ slightly from the original storytelling. Sparkes stated that the many flashbacks present in the novel to explain Moses’ past had to be cut from the film. The film focuses more heavily on the relationship between Moses and a young boy named Jesse (played by Cail Turner).
Crummey said, “The heart of the movie captures the heart of the book and I’m really grateful for that.” Adding that he will no longer be able to picture the character of Moses without seeing Mark Lewis Jones.
In a similar vein, White said that the film and novel are “different creatures,” but “cut from the same cloth.” In other words, while the story in the film may differ slightly from the original, the essence and overall themes remain the same.
Taking the time to go to the theatre and watch an independent film such as Sweetland is integral to showing your support for the local film industry. Independent films are not shown enough in our local theatre or are often overlooked by audiences. The more that we show up for these incredible films while they are in theatres, the more presence they will continue to have in the cinema long-term.
That said, it’s not too late to take yourself on this immersive experience. Sweetland will be in theatres until May 9th and you can use the following link to book your seats for one of the upcoming showings. It’s a film you won’t want to miss.
Book your seats now for one of the upcoming showings: https://www.cineplex.com/movie/sweetland