Interview by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor for RadioFree.com
October 13, 2022

A group of friends defend their hometown from an alien invasion in the sci-fi horror adventure Slash/Back.

In the remote Inuit community of Pangnirtung, nestled on Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean, four teens contend with universal challenges of adolescence against the backdrop of small-town living: Maika (Tasiana Shirley) downplays her cultural heritage, thinking it to be an old-fashioned relic of the past; Jesse (Alexis Vincent-Wolfe) harbors an unrequited crush on a local boy who doesn't seem to acknowledge her; Uki (Nalajoss Ellsworth) hustles and takes exuberant pride in Pang, putting her at odds with her more city-minded peers; and Leena (Chelsea Prusky) enjoys a seemingly privileged upbringing that belies a troubled life at home. But when their usually placid corner of the world is suddenly assailed by a hostile alien presence, the resourceful girls must band together and protect their turf from extraterrestrial invaders.

Both an enlightening look at the village of Pang and an allegory for social issues concerning the Indigenous peoples of Nunavut, Slash/Back demonstrates an accessible approach in storytelling, relaying its convictions through the actions of its flawed-but-fearless leads rather than heavy-handed exposition. The result is a family-friendly adventure featuring thrills, breathtaking scenery, and a charming cast of underdog heroines.

In this exclusive interview, writer/director Nyla Innuksuk talks about the making of Slash/Back, and how her love of the horror genre and childhood movies informed the tone of her own work. She is joined by two of her young actors: siblings Alexis Vincent-Wolfe, who plays faithful film fan Jesse, and Frankie Vincent-Wolfe, who plays Maika's adorably earnest little sister Aju.

Slash/Back is currently playing in select theaters, and available on digital/VOD.

RadioFree.com: Nyla, what aspects of life in Pang were you interested in sharing with the rest of the world through this prism of a fun alien invasion story?

NYLA: I spent a lot of time hanging out with some of the teenagers and cast that ended up acting in the movie as I was developing the script with my co-writer Ryan Cavan, and so it was really important for us to try and make something that felt representative of the girls and what they were going through. We would get together and write in the morning, and then hang out and go for boat rides with the cast, or watch movies together, and just hear them talk about the drama of their daily lives--just the dynamics of the friendships of the girls and how that worked. So getting to kind of then add that into this story of a community and this threat of an alien invasion was a really fun puzzle to solve.

Are you and your family from Pang, or did you grow up somewhere near the area?

NYLA: No, my family is actually from the community of Igloolik, which is small like Pang, about 1,500 people. The Arctic is really interesting. We've got our capital city Iqaluit, which is where a lot of our cast was from. And even the capital is a small city. I think there's about 8,000 people that live there. But it does feel very different than the smaller fly-in communities--it's just, the pace of life is different. My home community is also very, very beautiful. I want to put that out there! [laughs] I would love to make a movie in Igloolik. It's an island, it's very, very flat.

So how did you develop a connection to Pang and come to choose it as the setting for your film?

NYLA: I had made a documentary about the tradition of square dancing in the community of Pang when I was in my early 20s in college, and I totally fell in love with it. It's this whaling community with their tradition of square dancing that was brought over by Scottish whalers in the 1800s. They would bring over instruments, accordions and fiddles, and leave them in the community, in sheds by the water, and Inuit would play the instruments and learn all the dances. And so in these pockets of the Arctic, including Pang, square dancing and the accordion are considered Inuit tradition, which I just love. And then the community itself is nestled in these gigantic fjords, these crazy mountains carved by glaciers. So physically, it's just so beautiful and stunning. It's further north than Iqaluit, so it really has that 24-hour sunlight in the summer. And then on top of it, it's also where my nephews are from, and they're 5 and 7 years old, and they love movies. And for me, having grown up with E.T. and Goonies, the idea of being able to make a movie like that set in their hometown was really special.

Frankie, how did you get involved with this project, and how did you feel about getting the opportunity to be a part of it?

FRANKIE: I was very excited to be involved with this. The way I got involved was pretty funny. One day Nyla was trying to come and pick up Alexis, because they were doing acting workshops together. And I answered the door and I just asked to come with them. And then that's how I got into the movie.

And Alexis, how did you initially get involved?

ALEXIS: Well, my mom was asking me if I wanted to do this acting workshop. And I was like, "That really sounds fun and something I can do." So I went to the workshop, and it was incredible. I was stunned. I wanted to do it.

There's a brief scene of Jesse watching a horror movie, and prior to that, she's telling the other girls the story of John Carpenter's The Thing. Nyla, you mentioned growing up with E.T. and Goonies, but is it also fair to say that horror had a big influence on you?

NYLA: Yeah, horror was definitely a big love for me. It still is. And I think it really did start when I was 8 years old. [laughs] I remember specifically a sleepover that I had, and my mom rented The Birds for us, which is a terrifying movie for 8 year olds, especially because one of the scariest scenes is with kids that were basically our age, as they have to leave the school and get chased by these birds. And I just remember being terrified, and this feeling like you're getting away with something by watching a scary movie. And not only that, but your parents are encouraging it! It was something that I fell in love with. And then having worked with teenagers in the process of this movie, it was really kind of interesting for me because I was thinking about myself at that age. And by that point, movies and horror movies were definitely a big part of how I was figuring myself out. And this movie is about your identity and how you fit in, and how your Indigeneity fits into that. And for me, I was making cousins get dressed up as ghosts and doused in blood. And I never really thought of it as a career. It was just something that I loved, and loved to do. And so having the chance to find little ways to nod to some of my inspiration was great. The girls and I, the night before we shot our first day, had a little slumber party and watched The Thing. [laughs] It was great to kind of play around and explore some of the nerdier sides of my interests.

Alexis and Frankie, how do you both feel about scary movies?

ALEXIS: I absolutely love, love, love horror movies.

FRANKIE: They are my favorite.

Any particular films?

ALEXIS: I was really into The Visit and Poltergeist for a while. Just something about it.

FRANKIE: I liked It and 1408.

Alexis, your character Jesse actually steps aside and plays wingman when she learns her crush is more interested in her friend. Is Jesse basically the most selfless bestie anyone could ask for?

ALEXIS: I think so. I really do.

NYLA: Every single one of the girls, when they had read the script, wanted to play Jesse. [laughs] And I was like, "Really?" It was so interesting! But they all wanted to play Jesse, and I think it was because she was just that: she was a good friend.

And she's the horror fan of the group, so another plus.

NYLA: Yeah! [laughs]

Frankie, your character Aju's giant, oversized sweater was such a great choice for her. What did you think of the look?

FRANKIE: In real life, I love oversized stuff, so it was just [perfect] for me.

NYLA: She actually walked in one day wearing a huge, oversized sweater that basically went down to her feet. So I took a picture of that and sent it to our costume person, and I was like, "This look!" [laughs]

How was your experience of visiting Texas and screening Slash/Back with a crowd at South by Southwest?

ALEXIS: It was amazing. I felt so honored, and it was fun.

FRANKIE: Yeah, I actually felt like I was being seen as something amazing.

NYLA: For me, the chance to just go and travel to Texas with the cast and to be celebrating this process together was so special. We all kind of grew up so much in the making of this movie. We were learning so much together. [laughs] And we've been working together since they were quite young. Chelsea [Prusky], seeing her in [traditional] jewelry she beaded herself, and talking...She asked if she could speak to the audience in Inuktitut. And just to see the girls so proud of where they came from, and sharing the movie, has been really the highlight for me.

Frankie and Alexis, would you both like to continue acting, or go in a different direction?

FRANKIE: I really think I could pursue acting.

ALEXIS: For me, I want to be a pilot...I was involved with the cadet program for about five years. So acting is a side [interest].

NYLA: Alexis actually turned down the role when she was first cast, because she felt like it was really important for her to pursue her pilot's career. And she was selected into a program [and] was going to be the youngest Inuk woman ever to be taking part in this very elite program, and I was somehow able to convince her to put it off.

Nyla, do you think you'll be sticking with horror for your next film?

NYLA: I've got another script written that's a psychological thriller, so [it's] in the horror space. And that's a spot I love. But I'm also open to exploring different things. I mean, horror and horror movies are a place that I love, and just the process of figuring out how to make a genre movie is a lot of fun. But it is also a weird space to be sitting in for years at a time, thinking about how to process fear and trauma and make it fun. [laughs]

Thank you all for your time today, and congratulations on Slash/Back!

NYLA: Thank you so much.

FRANKIE: Thanks!

ALEXIS: Thank you so much...Bye!

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