Nyah Perkin’s journey started several years ago. She has been performing since she was very young, appearing in musicals around the Westman area. She was supposed to perform in “The Wizard of Oz” at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg when COVID hit in 2020. Meagan said at the time there were classes online for television and film acting and they went for it. With an agent, she began doing auditions. She was cast as young Jody in the Hallmark TV movie “Sweet Autumn”, which came out in 2020.
For “Daughter of the Sun”, Nyah had several auditions before securing the role. She was 13 when they started filming in 2021. Meagan said it took the whole summer to film, which took place in Winnipeg and area. They had to shoot more scenes in the summer of 2022. Afterward, there was the editing and filming, before the movie was ready to show in the summer of 2023.
Meagan said it was fascinating to be able to see how it is done up close.
“I was on set most of the time. You see maybe 50 cuts of one scene, and then they have to edit it. They had an orchestra do the score. The process is quite fascinating.”
“Daughter of the Sun”, directed by Ryan Ward, tells the story of Sonny Johns, a man with Tourette syndrome and his 12-year old daughter Hildie. They are on the run, looking for a normal family life. They befriend a group of outcasts who are not as benevolent as what they first seem. A fantasy/thriller, Meagan said it gets quite dark and dreary. It stretched Nyah’s acting skills.
“She had to go through a lot of different emotions on screen,” she explained.
The film was first released at the Fantasia Festival on July 29 in Montreal. The family was at the premiere and it was the first time any of them, Nyah included, had seen the production as a finished product.
“When she watched it, it brought tears to her eyes, to see what she had done. It was outstanding. It blew us away.”
Meagan added that though a few years have passed by since filming began, Nyah still looks very similar to her younger self.
Some viewers at Rojo Sangre have left comments with Memory Pill on X. One described “Daughter of the Sun” as “a mesmerizing blend of melancholy and sci-fi, exploring the challenges of existence in a world full of obstacles.” Another commented “I had a delightful surprise…poetic, fantastic, and with a very beautiful rhythm. The music, the script, and the performances are exquisite. Subtle, and with a warmth that moved me.”
Right now, “Daughter of the Sun” is going through the film festival rounds. It has appeared at several, including the award winning one in Buenos Aires. Meagan said the hope would be for the film to be picked up by a major distributor and then shown on a major platform or in theatres. The hope would be for this to happen by summer of 2024. The trailer can be seen on YouTube or IMDb.
With her new agent in Vancouver looking for roles, as well as the prestigious actress award, Nyah Perkin is set to continue her career. She is now 15 and her skills continue to grow as she works online with her acting coach. Meagan said she has had a few auditions, and though there is nothing definite right now, she is ready to continue.
“She’s excited about it,” her mother stated. “She loves it and will definitely continue with it. When the auditions come through, she will be ready and prepared.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff