You know Salvador Dali and Mary Cassatt. But do you know Canadians Helen Galloway McNicoll and Hannah Maynard?
All but erased from history, 40 years before Dali and the Surrealist movement began, professional Canadian photographer Hannah Maynard was perfecting surrealistic techniques in her Victoria, British Columbia studio. Maynard moved beyond stone faced portraits to a more creative as opposed to reproductive style with her portrait photography.
After the death of her infant daughter Lily, Maynard began losing her grip on reality and “Be Still” chronicles her descent into “madness” as that term would have been used in 1885. Through innovative cinematography somewhat in a Guy Madden style we witness Maynard (Piercey Dalton) delusions and apparitions dealing with Lily’s death and her compelling drive towards a new style of photography. The standard photographic style including the mug shots she took for the local police force may have paid the bills but stifled her creative force. She constantly sees and converses with Lily and sees multiple images of herself in a mirrored dreamlike scenario. Is her mental illness some type of multiple personality psychiatric disorder?
A chilling yet well-suited score by Joshua Hemming.
“Be Still” is based on a play by Janet Munsil.
Should you be in Victoria, British Columbia you may see some of her photographs at the Royal B.C. Museum.
Her husband Richard (Daniel Arnold) a talented landscape photographer watches hopelessly the decline of his wife. What a crushing scene as she realizes her descent into madness and admits to Richard she is coming apart. Powerful indeed.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTG2PKKy9Fo
VOD and Digital release in Canada on 16January2024.
Helen Galloway McNicoll (1879-1915) was a Canadian Impressionist painter recently featured in an Art Gallery of Ontario exhibition.
RKS 2024 Film Rating: 95/100.
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