Gillian McKercher’s Lucky Star closes CIFF with a bittersweet but resonating film about family and strife
By Hannah Caparino, October 6 2024—
Lucky Star made its worldwide debut at the 2024 Calgary International Film Festival, resulting in a sold-out theatre celebrating Alberta film. The film follows a father, named Harold “Lucky” Lee, who falls victim to a tax scam and his struggle to regain the lost money through poker games and gambling. The film stars a number of Alberta stars like Terry Chen, Olivia Cheng and Andrew Phung while welcoming new talent like Conni Miu and Jenny Le. Writer and director of Lucky Star Gillian McKercher sat down with The Gauntlet to discuss the creative process behind the film.
“I started thinking about Lucky Star when I was a student at the University of Calgary,” said McKercher, “I had the idea of what happens if a student got caught for cheating and their parents did everything they could to make sure that the child wasn’t expelled, and as I kept developing the piece I became more interested in the father. I always imagined that it was a dad trying to help his daughter out … who has done things which are easy to judge, but yet the children still love him.”
The protagonist of the film is “Lucky”, a former gambler who was brought back into the game out of desperation. Noel, Lucky’s wife, is a self-assured woman that is supportive of her daughters but watchful over her husband and his gambling habits. Despite her age, Jenny, the youngest daughter is aware of the family’s friction and internal strife. Grace, the eldest daughter in the Lee family, was a standout character and Miu is an excellent performer due to her ability to calculate and gauge emotional responses that elevates the scene. The Lee family is tested throughout the entire film: money gets passed around or is unfairly taken, and fights arise and increase in intensity. Feelings of pride, desperation and love are on full display as the family navigates the monetary pressures of their daily lives. The theme of fatherly love was highlighted in the film.
“Some of the things I thought about was fatherhood, like the challenges of being a dad and what it means to be a dad when you can’t provide for your family. What does that push you to do? And I also think about love. I also wanted people to take away that people can get through tough times, and that you can forgive each other.” said McKercher.
The development process of the film had required support and funding by many programs like the now defunct Harold Greenberg Fund, which had allowed McKercher to create connections that were essential to the making of Lucky Star, including introducing Terry Chen to the project. The director also notes how public programs and spaces like public libraries can provide great resources for young filmmakers, creating a space to develop the craft and network.
“I would say find people who you trust and who can read your work. You need people who can be like … ‘this needs to change or this is my feedback’, even if you disagree,” McKercher said.
McKercher is aiming to tell more archetypal and subtextual stories after learning from Lucky Star, using themes of forgiveness to guide her next project. Calgary’s film industry now has crews and resources that can give filmmakers the opportunity to create stories that come from Alberta, facilitating local and larger productions. Lucky Star is an example of one of the films at CIFF that was produced and filmed in Calgary.
McKercher also gives some insight on the realities about the industry and the importance of film festivals.
“Getting into the industry is extremely hard, it breaks your heart every single day. But if you’re motivated by a love of the craft … and by the vision that you have, it can make up for all the heartbreak,” she said. “There is a big shift happening in cinema and filmmaking right now. I have ideas about where it’s going, but I’m not sure where it’s gonna land. Hopefully Calgary can still keep people here who want to express themselves on a national and international level.”
The film is a dynamic story of how relationships and trust are incredibly fragile, adapting a poignant view at how love can be tested. The film does cover topics like gambling and addiction, and if anyone is in need of resources for recovery, information can be found here. Lucky Star will continue to be featured in festivals including the Vancouver International Film Festival. For more information about the future of CIFF and other Alberta-made films, click here.