Summer Film Series: Sgaawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife)

This 19th-century mystery thriller is set before European contact on the Pacific Northwest islands of Haida Gwaii. There, two extended families on an annual fishing trip are torn apart by internal conflicts and a fateful storm. When an exiled nobleman descends into madness, he is transformed into Gaagixid—a mythical “wild man” caught between natural and supernatural worlds. As he struggles to survive, the families return to restore his humanity and heal their broken community. The first feature film about the Haida people, Sgaawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife) is a catalyst for the revitalization of the Haida language and culture. The film features a fully Haida cast (trained in the language by fluent speakers and elders) as well as sets, costumes, and props from traditional Haida craftspeople.