Mad Ship premiered at the Whistler Film Festival on November 30, 2012, to mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
A poor young Scandinavian immigrant couple winds up in Canada in search of prosperity, but the hardship of the Great Depression takes a toll in a way they never feared when they went in search of the dream. Mad Ship tells the true story of a Scandinavian immigrant who built a boat to carry the body of his dead wife.[3]
The house and barn used in the film were built on the set.[4]
Reception
Mad Ship received mostly mixed reviews. said "Continuity might have conferred something of the stark, affecting sobriety of a Scandinavian film that Mad Ship seems to be aiming for."[5] The Toronto Star said "There’s more to Mad Ship than what is on the surface, and Mortin — ably assisted by Michael Marshall’s gorgeous cinematography — gets there in the end. But not without a few rough seas in the telling of the tale."[3] Canada.com said "Despite the excellent period production design that allows us to enter 1920s Manitoba, its desperate message of survival seems crafted for today’s world as economic uncertainty, hefty unemployment and poor stewardship of the land has left the rest of us searching for a rescue vessel on the greasy plains of 21st century progress."[6] Digital Journal said "It's a strange film, although one with gorgeous visual images to spare."[7]
Release
Mad Ship will be screened at the Raindance Film Festival.[8]
