Image, poster and trailer courtesy of White Pine Pictures

On July 8, 1917, just as Tom Thomson was reaching ascendancy in his craft, he paddled across Canoe Lake in Ontario and disappeared. His body was found floating in the lake 8 days later. Renowned as one of Canada’s most beloved painters and described as the nation's "greatest colourist" and "our Van Gogh," Thomson's vibrant interpretations of the northern landscape have become iconic representations of the Canadian soul. The cause of his death remains a mystery to this day. What is it about Tom Thomson’s life, art and death that haunt us still, that draw thousands to his cairn at Canoe Lake each summer and propels his little sketches to the stratosphere of the Canadian Art market? West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson unravels many of the mysteries of this brilliant, beloved artist. Filmed on location in Leith, Seattle, Toronto, Georgian Bay and Algonquin Park, the story is told by a wide range of people with on-screen portrayals by Christian Golec as a young Tom, James VanDerKleyn as an older Tom, and features the voices of Eric Peterson, Gordon Pinsent and Susan Coyne. The documentary is co-directed by award-winning Canadian filmmaker Peter Raymont and two-time Gemini award-winning documentary editor Michèle Hozer.

95 minutes - Documentary
Release date: September 2011 - Vancouver International Film Festival