Karen Chapman’s first narrative feature film Village Keeper started out as a documentary concept.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 11 is directed, written and co-produced by Chapman.
Village Keeper stars Olunike Adeliyi (pictured) as an overwhelmed and overbearing mother struggling to protect her children from a potentially hazardous environment, even if it means hampering their growth. Primarily set in an apartment complex in the north-west Toronto neighborhood of Lawrence Heights, it examines a bevy of complex themes, including family, trauma and the immediate, but also long-lasting, impacts of violence and abuse.
Chapman tells Playback Daily she intended to create a documentary to explore the impact of gun violence in Toronto. However, when she was accepted to the Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) Director’s Lab, she was challenged to turn the concept into a narrative project, leading to her short film Measure.
The short was developed with her mentor Charles Officer and allowed Chapman to connect with locals during production.
“[Measure] gave us a great opportunity to work in the world and locations, and build relationships with the community so we could come back [to film a feature],” says Chapman, noting that Measure and Village Keeper are set in the same world.
Chapman produced Village Keeper under her banner Smallaxx Motion Pictures. While Chapman says she “disdains producing,” it was necessary when she couldn’t find a producer to board the film. She previously produced the 2016 short Walk Good, which also tackled the impact of gun violence.
She recruited fellow first-time producer Enrique Miguel Baniqued as a co-producer. The duo first met while Baniqued was a production assistant on the set of Quiet Minds Silent Streets, a short doc directed by Chapman that explores a community chronically affected by gun violence.
“I was so thankful when Enrique came along and said ‘Yes,'” says Chapman. “I think because he had no idea how hard it would be.”
Chapman’s secret weapon? The eight executive producers who she says were her and Baniqued’s fairy godmothers and fathers. Chapman says she would call on them for everything from advice, to casting or to making sure everyone on set felt safe.
The EPs include Taj Critchlow (SuperFly); producer Christina Piovesan (Infinity Pool); writer and producer Floyd Kane (Diggstown); cinematographer Jordan Oram (Spiral); journalist and producer Susana Ferreira (Should the Day Ever Come); director and screenwriter Molly McGlynn (Mary Goes Round); producer Lora Campbell (Two Penny Road Kill); and poet, activist and singer d’bi.young anitafrika, who also makes an appearance in the film.
Production for Village Keeper began in June 2023 with funding from Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canada Media Fund. According to Chapman, the budget for the film was around $200,000. Both levelFILM and CBC come on board at the beginning of production as the respective distributor and Canadian broadcasting partner.
“We found something profound in the exploration of generational trauma through the lens of a beautiful and healing family,” says Olivier Gauthier-Mercier, VP, distribution at levelFILM. “The ensemble cast performances are beautifully weaved to create a stunning debut feature by the small but mighty Chapman.”
Gosia Kamela, head of CBC Films, said in an email interview that the pubcaster pre-bought the film because of “the singularity of the story she was telling and by her vision as a director; we feel her fresh voice and perspective exemplifies the future of Canadian filmmaking.”
The film is expected to air on CBC and stream on CBC Gem in 2026.
Photo by Jordan Oram