SXSW Review: Morrisa Maltz’s ‘The Unknown Country’
deadline.comA grieving young woman takes a road trip in The Unknown Country, a realist drama at SXSW from director Morrisa Maltz. Fans of Nomadland should be well served by this thoughtful film that casts actors alongside real people playing themselves (or thereabouts).Lily Gladstone (Certain Women) stars as Tana, who’s lost her dear grandmother and is travelling to a wedding in her estranged Oglala Lakota community.
Driving from the Midwest toward the Texas-Mexico border, Tana meets a variety of people who share their stories and invite her into their lives for a short while.One of the first of these is Pam, who runs a diner and tells an extraordinary story about a customer who kept coming in to give her cash, until one day… he didn’t.
The film’s postscript makes this story all the more poignant. As Tana continues on her journey, the absence of a strong character like Pam is felt, but Gladstone’s subtle performance builds momentum and expands on Tana’s character.
She’s nervous about reconnecting with her family, including her cousin Lainey. Lainey is played by Lainey Bearkille Shangreauxr, who is also the film’s producers, and puts her own story into the film.
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