The Bitter Ash

"The Bitter Ash" is a 1963 Canadian drama film directed by Larry Kent, starring Alan Scarfe as Des, a blue collar man drawn into Vancouver's counterculture underground, where he clashes with intellectual Colin (Philip Brown) over the affections of his wife Laurie (Lynn Stewart). The film depicts themes of socioeconomic despair and explores the collision of bohemian and working-class values in precountercultural Vancouver. Released without commercial distribution, Kent showcased the film on a cross-Canada tour to university campuses before its later screenings at various festivals and retrospectives.