Clement Virgo Shoots Brother
by Staff Editors
(October 18, 2021 – Toronto, ON) Production is underway in Toronto on Clement Virgo’s new feature, Brother. The story is about Francis and Michael, sons of Caribbean immigrants maturing into young men. Set to the pulsing beats of Toronto’s early hip hop scene, Brother explores themes of masculinity, identity and family, a mystery unfolds during the sweltering summer of 1991, and escalating tensions set off a series of events that change the course of the brothers’ lives forever. It’s a timely story about the profound bond between siblings, the resilience of a community and the irrepressible power of music.
Brother costars Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give, Your Honor, Kings), Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad, Old, Krypton), Marsha Stephanie Blake (Orange is the New Black, When They See Us, The Laundromat), and Kiana Madeira (Fear Street Trilogy, Trinkets, After We Fell, After Ever Happy).
“I feel a deeply personal connection to David Chariandy’s novel, Brother, and the characters who populate that world. Lamar Johnson, Aaron Pierre, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Kiana Madeira are the ideal cast to convey the essence of each of these characters and bring out their internal lives to share with audiences,” said Virgo.
The feature, due for release in the fall of 2022 is produced by Damon D’Oliveira (Wildhood, The Grizzlies, The Book of Negroes, RUDE), Aeschylus Poulos (Sleeping Giant, Mary Goes Round, 22 Chaser, The Book of Negroes), Sonya Di Rienzo (The Young Arsonists, Queen of the Morning Calm, Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies) and Clement Virgo.
Distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures, foreign sales will be handled by BRON Releasing. Brother is produced by Conquering Lion Pictures and Hawkeye Pictures with the participation of Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund and in association with Bell Media’s Crave and CBC Films.
Filming in and around Toronto and Scarborough began September 22 and is expected to wrap by October 26, 2021. Brother will be distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures, foreign Sales will be handled by BRON Releasing. Brother is produced by Conquering Lion Pictures and Hawkeye Pictures with the participation of Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund and in association with Bell Media’s Crave and CBC Films.
