TIFF ’24 Review: ‘Seeds’ protects its traditions with fierce determination

A scene from ‘Seeds’ courtesy of Route 504 PR

‘Seeds’ is a dramatic thriller that finds a young woman defending her family’s legacy from a nefarious corporation.

Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) moved from her reservation to Toronto to find financial stability and she’s finally nearing her goal with a contract to leverage her influencer status for Nature’s Oath, a seed and fertilizer company. However, on the first day of their posting agreement, she’s called back to the rez to care for her vacationing aunt’s home while her cousin, Wiz (Dallas Goldtooth), goes fishing — which would be fine if she could access a steady internet connection. In addition to avoiding ex-,boyfriend Bandit’s (Meegwun Fairbrother) phone calls and worrying about a series of local break-ins, she’s also warned to beware of her new business partner who may want more than just her social media support. Amusingly, her homecoming also coincides with the start of very vivid dreams featuring Graham Greene, who often appears to deliver a warning.

Ziggy is Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) and, in spite of her complaining, she truly enjoys returning to her friends and loved ones, where she can speak her language and tend to her aunt’s small farm. It brings back happy memories of a childhood spent learning her family’s traditions and being tasked with protecting their legacy: a cache of rare seeds, cultivated by her ancestors. There’s a lot to enjoy in this small Canadian film, from the likeable cast to the environmentally conscious but not preachy script that blends humour and badassery. Ziggy is very sweet on the outside, but she’s also a fierce, independent woman who has the respect of the men in her life — traits that Horn imbues in the picture as its writer, director and lead actor.

There’s been a movement to tell stories with diversity that aren’t necessarily about diversity and this movie fits the bill. While it’s unmistakably an Indigenous narrative that celebrates the characters’ language and history, it’s also a home invasion movie in which the trespassers should’ve learned their lesson the first time and respected the resolve of the final girl.

Seeds had its world premiere in the Discovery programme at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Read other reviews from the festival.

Director: Kaniehtiio Horn
Starring: Kaniehtiio Horn, Graham Greene and Patrick Garrow