MICHAEL SHANNON MICHAEL SHANNON JOHN (Chelsea McMullan, Canada). 80 minutes. Rating: NNN
It’s a story that’s stranger than fiction, and it’s irresistible: as adults, Toronto siblings Michael and Shannon Hanmer discovered that their late father, John, had started another family in Thailand and that they had two half-siblings also named Michael and Shannon.
Filmmaker Chelsea McMullan, a friend of the Canadian siblings, follows them as they travel to meet their new family members and follow John’s trail to the site of his 2000 murder in the Philippines.
It’s intriguing and atmospheric, though the reliance on montage sequences in the third act suggests that this might have been better at a shorter length. In the end, the Hanmers’ quest doesn’t quite produce enough material for a feature.
Apr 29, 9:45 pm, Scotiabank 4 Apr 30, 1:15 pm, TIFF 3 May 7, 9:45 pm, Hart House
