October 30, 2021

Guest post by Modo member Sean Ronan

4 am in Maple Ridge, July, in the aftermath of the heat dome and still in the throes of Covid. The fire crackles. A cowboy munches on sandwiches. And a werewolf runs through the forest.

But mostly, it’s mosquitos. Lots of mosquitos…

We’re producing a web series, which means there is a small army of creative folks working incredibly hard to move gear, set up lights, rehearse lines, practice stunts, feed themselves, and turn this small patch of forest into a 19th-century wolf hunters camp. It’s a small indie production which means there’s never enough time and or money. But it’s also an inspiring and exciting project which means the people here want to be here because they care about it. 

Because this show we’re making isn’t just any show.

Shadow of the Rougarou is a gritty, western horror rooted in Métis history and culture in which we were able to film in three different Indigenous languages! It’s about Sâkowêw and her journey back home and the things she ran away from but has to return to in order to heal. And there may or may not be a werewolf.

After over a year in development, Shadow of the Rougarou is our Covid baby. Although we are thrilled to have finally made it, there are so many mosquitoes buzzing and biting through the many clothes of the 50 team members. Well, 49 of the team members. Alex, our sound recordist and mixer, came prepared. It’s not his first rodeo, and he looks very comfortable under his netted jacket.

Working on this show has been an honour – it has taken a community to bring this vision to life and create something impactful yet engaging. And we couldn’t have done it without transportation. Modo made it easier for us, and we appreciate collaborating with an organization that does so much good in sharing cars, just as we’re trying to do good in sharing stories.

Even if there’s probably a mosquito in the car.

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN

From the RouCrew

Shadow of the Rougarou is directed by Jordan Waunch, produced by Hammer & Tong, and launches on APTN Lumi in mid-2022. 

Follow the show on Instagram