Rosie is a story of strength and chosen family through the eyes of a child — with a lot of 80s music

Cutaways is a personal essay series where filmmakers tell the story of how their film was made. This TIFF 2022 edition by Gail Maurice focuses on her film Rosie, which follows a suddenly orphaned young Indigenous girl as she finds her new chosen family in Montreal.

As writers, we infuse our work with a lot of ourselves. A little piece of me is in all my characters. And Rosie definitely has a lot of me in it.

When I "came out" in the 80s, everything was so new and wild and free. I found my urban community and my new chosen family. My eyes opened up to a whole new world and way of being.

Through the eyes of a child, there is no judgment; humans are all equal and kindness is what matters. That's exactly why I wrote Rosie with a little girl (Keris Hope Hill) as my lead.

I was born and raised in a small Métis community in Northern Saskatchewan. When I moved to Saskatoon for university, I was surrounded by foreign faces that didn't look or sound like me. I felt like I didn't belong in this new world.

In retrospect, that was when I realized how resilient I was in the face of adversity. It was also when I realized I might be gay.

I wanted Rosie to enter a world feeling a similar way so I could show her resilience, her strength and her passion. Her aunty Fred (Frédérique) played by Mélanie Bray, Flo played by Constant Bernard, and Mo played by Alex Trahan embrace her along the way — her chosen family. 

My lead characters are Francophone and speak with Québécois accents; this adds to the feeling of alienation and isolation for Rosie. Her mother was taken from her Indigenous parents and adopted into a Francophone family; I, too, have two siblings that were taken from my mother at birth. Rosie can't find her mother's family because of lost records, but she adapts and forms a new chosen family.

This is my way of honouring the fighters who were ripped from their mother's arms — the survivors who are doing the best they can. 

I am grateful to have been raised in my culture by my grandmother, Pelagie Maurice. Rosie is very much a tribute to her. I speak Michif, a mixture of Cree and French. There are only 1,130 Michif speakers in the world. I am one of them.

When I speak my language, I feel my ancestors' memories coursing through my blood and veins. Rosie is a multilingual film to honour this history, the history of my mixed blood, and to honour my grandmother who taught me to be a strong proud Nehiyow Apihtowkosisan Iskwew. 

I created the character of Jigger (played by Brandon Oakes) — a homeless Cree man who becomes Rosie's friend — to link back to Rosie's culture and to underscore the resilience and strength of Indigenous people. Jigger is homeless, but not beaten down. He is the most authentic of all the characters, symbolically shown by his closeness to the ground. He is strong, wise, and calm and provides a connection to Rosie's Indigenous roots. He inspires her.

I wanted to tell a story about people filled with love, strength, and perseverance, and to remind viewers to keep their eyes and hearts open to the beauty in those who have been cast aside or don't quite fit in. Love and acceptance — that's what this film is about. 

Whenever I would get stuck writing the script, I would crank up the tunes. Even though the 80s were a time of confusion and alienation, it was also a time of wonder and excitement. Music was always blasting and I was getting my freak on with Depeche Mode, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, Madonna, Eurythmics and so many more.

I had "Lola" by the Kinks and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode on repeat. That would get me out of my head and into the mood I needed to write. That's why you will hear 24 80s-inspired songs in the film. I think music has the ability to take you instantly back to a specific moment in time.

Life is what you make it. When Rosie and her aunt are forced to sleep under the stars in an auto scrapyard for the night, Rosie sees it as an outdoor camping adventure. Fred, an artist, takes people's garbage and turns it into art. She sees the potential in others' trash.

Beneath all the grime, there is glitter.

This year's Toronto International Film Festival runs September 8–18. Find showtimes for Rosie here.

Missed it at TIFF? Catch it at the Atlantic International Film Festival (September 15–22), the Edmonton International Film Festival (September 22–October 1), the Calgary International Film Festival (September 22–October 2) and the Vancouver International Film Festival (Sept 29–October 9).