Blood Lines is a lesbian romance wrapped up in a celebration of Métis culture—with dialogue in the Michif language, which has only about 1,130 speakers in the world, including Maurice—and centers around an upcoming Métis Days festival. This is a TIFF 2025 must-see film that delves into Métis culture and provides commentary on Canada’s welfare system being flawed—especially when it comes to Métis and Aboriginal families.
Storyteller and store clerk Beatrice (Dana Solomon) is completely taken by a new woman who arrives in her Métis community looking to find her biological family. Beatrice decides to help Chani (Derica Lafrance) spend more time with her. Meanwhile, a chorus of older women, collectively referred to as “The Grannies,” try to get Beatrice to mend things with her mom, Léonore (played by director Gail Maurice). Léonore’s past drinking problem had soured their relationship, and Beatrice is reluctant to repair it, no matter how many years her mom has been sober.
“The best aspect of Blood Lines was how unapologetic it was as a queer, lesbian story.”
Blood Lines’ storyline contained numerous underlying themes revolving around the concept of bloodlines. Without spoiling anything, the title has multiple meanings: one more obvious than the other. The overarching story matched the title’s importance and what it means to help those in one’s ancestry and family tree.
The romance portion of the movie was intense, with Solomon delivering a charged performance whenever she acted opposite Lafrance. Lafrance was adequate in the shy, reserved-woman role, but Solomon took the reins. Her charismatic eye contact and playfulness with Lafrance were a gem to witness.
The best aspect of Blood Lines was how unapologetic it was as a queer, lesbian story. None of the characters questioned Beatrice’s gender, and she did not have to hide it. Being a lesbian in this Métis community was never presented as an issue, and I was glad it was not used as a forced conflict for the protagonist. Instead, the central challenge was Beatrice’s relationship with her recovering mother re-entering her life.
“Blood Lines presented a very human story, with the Grannies serving as teaching elders, each bringing their own wisdom and quirks.”
I also appreciated that this Métis story did not fall into the dated tropes of whitewashed depictions of Métis or First Nations people, which often focus on spiritual adventures or lessons. The Grannies who guided Beatrice were not portrayed as mystical figures used to heighten drama. Instead, Blood Lines presented a very human story, with the Grannies serving as teaching elders, each bringing their own wisdom and quirks.
Another strong element of Blood Lines was its commentary on Canada’s welfare system. It highlighted the consequences of parents and children being separated too quickly by social services, as well as the systemic bias and discrimination faced by Métis and First Nations communities. The film underscored the lasting effects of children being wrongfully displaced.
I enjoyed Blood Lines’ unique dialogue and all the inside jokes those in real-life Métis communities would understand. There is one scene where Tamara Podemski’s (Murderbot) Pehmee asks Beatrice if their store has “any Indian chrome.” Pehmee was asking for some duct tape, but it must be called that in many Métis/Aboriginal communities to be a normalized saying. There were other subtle lines similar to this that fascinated me because it was not part of my everyday vernacular.
“The film underscored the lasting effects of children being wrongfully displaced.”
Another of Blood Lines’ greatest strengths was its cinematography, which added a compelling layer to the film by showcasing Canadian vistas, rivers, forests and natural landscapes. Scenes of Beatrice and Chani on horseback or walking through their surroundings highlighted the beauty of the classic Canadian wilderness, with deep greens blending into the reds and yellows of foliage and brush.
With an 89-minute runtime, Blood Lines does not overstay its welcome by fluffing out character backstories or lingering too long on scenic shots. I learned a lot about Métis Days and Métis culture through this film. The last thing of note is that audiences will not expect the twists and turns this film takes throughout its full narrative journey. The way Seeds took TIFF 2024 by storm last year for Indigenous films, Blood Lines could be the spotlight movie this year—but less bloody.
