By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

A character drama disguised as a procedural, Prodigals gives a fresh coat of paint to the proverbial return to the hometown, in this particular case, Sault Ste. Marie (The Soo). There are no plain heroes and villains in this story, just a group of people struggling to keep their head above water. Friendships have grown complicated by familiarity, resentment, and lies. A lot of lies.

Writer and co-star Nicholas Carella and director Michelle Ouellet (Photo: Kristine Cofsky)

Prodigals was directed by Michelle Ouellet and written by Nicholas Carella, who also co-stars in the film. Ouellet and Carella are married and have collaborated in numerous projects in the past, including the 2013 feature Afterparty and the digital series Paranormal Solutions Inc.

I had the chance to talk at length with Michelle and Nick. We discussed the challenges of juggling multiple roles on set, how to make BC look like Northern Ontario, and how to best use screen testing to improve your film.

Prodigals will play at the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver this Saturday, July 21st, and Thursday the 24th.

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