Arts·Q with Tom Power

Cody Lightning's mockumentary Hey, Viktor! pokes fun at his child star upbringing

The Samson Cree Nation actor’s latest project, Hey, Viktor!, follows a fictionalized version of himself trying to make a sequel to the cult classic film Smoke Signals.

The Samson Cree Nation actor’s latest project was inspired by a running inside joke

Still frame from the film Hey Viktor. Cody Lightning looks defiantly into the camera, wearing a headdress.
Cody Lightning in Hey, Viktor! (North Country Cinema)

Twenty-five years after playing Little Victor in the 1998 coming-of-age drama Smoke Signals, Cody Lightning is all grown up and back with his directorial debut. It's a mockumentary, titled Hey, Viktor!, which follows a fictionalized version of himself trying to make a sequel to the cult classic film he acted in as a child. Lightning joins Q's Tom Power from Edmonton to talk about his gritty new Indigenous comedy, how his idea for the film began as a running joke with his friends, and how he looks back on his time as a child actor.

WATCH | Official trailer for Hey, Viktor!: 

The full interview with Cody Lightning is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Cody Lightning produced by Mitch Pollock.