Brian Eggleston encourages others to go after what interests them
A first-time actor from Selkirk recovering from a spinal injury found healing in playing a role in a Manitoba-produced film.
The feature film Daughter of the Sun follows a 12-year-old girl on the run with her father, who has Tourette Syndrome.
“As they cautiously join a community of outcasts living on the fringes, they soon realize the group has a darker purpose threatening their very existence,” a news release about the film explained.
Brian Eggleston, who lives in Selkirk, plays one of the members of the community the father and daughter encounter.
“The whole experience was just unbelievable,” Eggleston said.
Eggleston found out about the role while in the hospital with a spinal injury, something he’s still recovering from. His wife saw the casting call, and Eggleston agreed he seemed to fit the part.
“The role fit me — kind of a gruff guy, late 40s, early 50s,” Eggleston said. The character also used a wheelchair, like Eggleston.
People in his ward at the hospital helped him read lines and put together an audition video.
“They were more excited than I was about this whole thing, helping me read lines,” Eggleston said. “It helped get everybody’s minds off things, the situation they were in. I think it really helped a lot of people.”
Eggleston got the part, and after being in the hospital for six months recovering from his injury, he went straight into filming.
“It kind of helped me transition from being in the hospital for so long back into regular everyday life,” Eggleston said. “It gave me focus instead of just dwelling on things. It was draining, a couple long days of shooting. My wife took time off work and drove me so that I was able to be there.”
The movie was filmed throughout Manitoba in Gimli, Hadashville and Carberry. Eggleston’s role took about two months to film.
Ryan Ward, originally from Portage la Prairie, wrote, directed and starred in the film. He played the father in Daughter of the Sun.
“Returning to Manitoba to film Daughter of the Sun was a homecoming filled with inspiration and nostalgia,” Ward said in the news release. “After living in Toronto and L.A., I was struck by the beauty here, which I’ve realized has deeply influenced my work. Shooting here wasn’t just about filming scenes, but about trying to capture a feeling of timelessness and wonder that has stayed with me for years.”
The film earned an audience award for best Canadian feature at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. Daughter of the Sun also played at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.
“It was a great experience all around. The people were great, the story was interesting,” Eggleston said. “I got to experience something that not a lot of people get to do.”
Eggleston is still recovering from his spinal injury. Initially, he was paralyzed from the waist down, but today, he has some movement in his lower body and is re-learning how to walk. He still uses a wheelchair but not all the time.
Eggleston, who worked in construction for 30 years, would like to continue acting and has put out a couple of auditions.
From his experience recovering from his spinal injury and from his experience trying something new — acting — Eggleston encourages people to go after what interests them.
“Grab what you want and run with it, really. If you figure you want something, just go for it,” Eggleston said. “Even with my physio, they told me I wouldn’t walk. I can walk with a cane — not very far, but I’m working on it. I’ll get there.”
