Guitar Lessons, starring Corb Lund, opens in Medicine Hat
By Samantha Johnson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 10, 2022.
Corb Lund (right) and Kaden Noskiye star in Guitar Lessons, which opened at the Galaxy Theatre in Medicine Hat on Friday.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
Guitar Lessons starring Corb Lund opened at the Galaxy Theatre on Friday in Medicine Hat.
After doing well in independent theatres across Western provinces, this weekend sees the film playing in 16 towns and cities across four provinces, which has all been accomplished without a distributor.
“It’s all grassroots thanks to local media and people who are asking it to come to their hometown theatres,” said director Aaron James.
Filmed in and around High Level and on the Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement and Little Red River Cree Nation, the film has been fun for everyone involved from start to finish. It centres around a 15-year-old Métis boy who inherits an old guitar. He reaches out to a cantankerous oilfield contractor (Corb Lund) who, rumour has it, was something of a rock star back in the day.
“Corb has been a friend of mine for years,” said James. “But this is different than anything I’ve seen from him before. He is the only musician I know at his level who still takes guitar lessons and works on his trade and craft.
“He brought that same discipline and professionalism to his first big role as an actor. It was inspiring to watch him. He was nervous and vulnerable and shy at times, wondering if he should do this and probably some days wishing he hadn’t, but he faced it with equanimity and courage.”
For the younger role, 33 boys auditioned, many coming from out of province. The filmmakers ended up going with a local hometown kid, Kaden Noskiye.
“He knocked it out of the park,” stated James.
James wasn’t doing much during the pandemic when he got a call to come for a month to substitute teach in Wabaska, Alta., a Cree community north of Edmonton.
A kid in his social studies class, who was constantly in trouble, looked James up and discovered he’d made music and movies. The student packed around an old guitar and asked James for lessons outside of classes, which inspired a short story called Guitar Lessons. After getting a call from people in High Level who wanted to make a movie, James turned the short story into a film script.
Until a few months ago, James wasn’t on social media but he’s getting to learn how to use it and spends the first part of each day on his accounts.
“All four Western provinces have so many people who are asking for the movie and telling their friends to go see it. Now big theatres are asking for it because we’ve been doing so well at all the independents. I’m happy and thankful. It’s a lovely little film and I’m glad we’re coming to your town. I hope people come out and see it.”
The trailer can be viewed at
https://vimeo.com/742193952/556dc52fd4
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