I admit that Sasquatch stories appeal to me but I entered Letters From the Big Man with fairly low expectations. It’s not an easy task to make a quiet, serious drama about Bigfoot, but director Christopher Munch was up to the task.

Sarah is a strong, self-sufficient woman, a young veteran of the forestry service who is getting over a failed relationship. She turns to the majestic landscape of wild Oregon where, essentially, she takes a long hike to gather data for one last contract. Along the way she senses she is being watched but it doesn’t disturb her enjoyment of the landscape. In the middle of nowhere she meets Sean, who later turns out to be an environmental advocate, a Bigfoot hunter and a potential love interest.

There is a plot here, involving loggers and lawyers and a covert government plan to use Bigfoot as a weapon, but this is essentially a story about an interesting woman making friends with a sasquatch (although he is almost always at a distance and their communication is through dreams, telepathy and symbols). The film is absolutely gorgeous and lead actress Lily Rabe captivates – a good thing as she is on screen alone so much of the time. Some of the writing and acting is a little wooden and the plot is not terribly sophisticated but it didn’t detract from the message and the beautiful vistas.

Watch the trailer here. The film plays Sep 29th 2:50pm at Granville 7 Th 1, Oct 12th 9:30pm at Granville 7 Th 1, Oct 14th 2:50pm at Granville 7 Th 1.