TORONTO 鈥� In the opening scene of 鈥淏rother,鈥� two Black teens prepare for a climb, the elder instructing his younger sibling: "follow my every step.鈥澛�
As they trek up a hazardous hydro tower, an impeccable sight of Toronto comes into view. It's treacherous but rewarding, an allegory for the Black experience.
At an early point in his life, Lamar Johnson 鈥� who stars in the Clement Virgo-directed coming-of-age chronicle 鈥� said he couldn鈥檛 imagine himself starring in this scene.
鈥淚 didn't even know that being able to act, much less in a film like 'Brother,' was possible until I sat down and saw a commercial with a little Black kid, and I was like, 'whoa, hold on, I could do that too,'鈥� said Johnson, 28, who spent most of his growing years as a self-taught dancer. 聽
鈥淚n a way, it was quite beautiful to be able to sit down and read the script and feel seen."
鈥淏rother,鈥� adapted from Vancouver-based author David Chariandy鈥檚 novel of the same name, is a coming-of-age story centred on two young Jamaican-Canadian men who experience struggles and joys in a 1991 version of the east-Toronto suburb of Scarborough.聽
The film is at the forefront of this year's Canadian Screen Awards with 14 film nominations, including best picture and achievement in direction.聽
For his part, Johnson is up for performance in a leading role, while his co-star Aaron Pierre is up for performance in a supporting role in the film set for its theatrical debut Friday.
Johnson said he saw immediate parallels with his character, Michael, the timid younger brother to the more confident Francis, portrayed by Pierre.
Like Michael, Johnson grew up in Scarborough, raised by a single mom who immigrated from Jamaica.聽
"I remember reading the scripts and when I discovered that it was also based in Scarborough, that for me was sort of the moment," said Johnson, who has since been recognized internationally for his part in HBO's hit video game-adapted television series 鈥淭he Last of Us."聽
"Here's this little Black boy from ... immigrant parents, which is literally, the full representation of my experience and my existence.鈥�
Embodying Michael was emotionally demanding, Johnson said.聽
鈥淣o one really taught some of us Black men how to deal with trauma, and no one is teaching (Michael) how to navigate and he doesn鈥檛 have a therapist he can talk to. And that was my approach, to be present and put myself in these circumstances and ask myself how it鈥檚 affecting me.鈥�
Johnson said he felt Michael was different from some other Black boys in volatile settings portrayed in films. The character was nuanced, he said, with scenes that hinged on a gaze or quiet expression; absent words.聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 a power in silence, a power in simplicity,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something about someone not having to actually physically say something for them to say something, whether through their eyes or body language.鈥澛�
But beyond the character, Johnson said the whole movie was relatable.聽
The coming-of-age drama is specific to the kind of immigrant hub he鈥檚 experienced firsthand 鈥� from the barbershops and apartments with untouched china to the looming threat of police brutality.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 all there in the dialect and the patois, which all feel authentic to the experience of this movie and the experience of a lot of Black boys and men from Toronto,鈥� Johnson added. 鈥淪carborough is such a melting pot of so many different cultures and experiences so that even when you鈥檙e not Caribbean, you can connect to the experience鈥澛�
Mississauga-raised Kiana Madeira co-stars as Aisha, an old friend from the neighbourhood who returns after an absence and finds Michael more mature.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, the concept of connecting and being seen. You can be seen as an audience member but also as an artist when you鈥檙e making a film,鈥� said Madeira, who was born in Parkdale, another immigrant-rich Toronto neighbourhood.聽
Madeira, who previously starred in Netflix鈥檚 "Fear Street" trilogy, said that like her character, she learned early how to support her loved ones in the same fashion that immigrant parents often do 鈥� through a sense of survival.
鈥淭here are a lot of moments when Aisha felt eager to fix Michael鈥檚 problems," Madeira said. "It was very similar to my own experience where this profession can take you to a lot of places and bring you back to a community with an outside perspective.鈥�
For Madeira, much like Johnson, this was more than a role, but an opportunity to be a part of a vision of Blackness in Toronto as it exists.
鈥淓verything about this project coming together felt very divine,鈥� said Madeira. 鈥淭o be a part of this movie with all its nuance, I feel very honoured and grateful because that鈥檚 all we want to do as actors, invoke authentic emotions and audience members."聽
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2023.
Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press
