Documentary from The New Canadians Centre Focuses On Migrant Workers
/A short documentary, filmed and directed by local filmmaker Shahed Khaito called ‘The Hands That Feed Us’ was released on August 5.
Photo courtesy of the New Canadians Centre
Peterborough Blogs
Hunter Street Bridge Documentary Set to Premiere For Peterborough
/As the Hunter Street bridge celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, a documentary marking the milestone called “Building the Ashburnham Bridge” will air on YourTV on Aug. 2.
Steve Russell, project manager of the documentary was the eldest of four children in his family. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The documentary was created by archivist Elwood Jones and former engineer Steve Russell. It tells the story of the planning and construction of the bridge — also known as the Ashburnham Bridge — between 1919 and 1921.
The project began in 2019 after a grant was given to the Trent Severn Waterway from the Trillium Foundation to take all the old pictures of Quaker Oats and the bridge construction according to Russell.
Russell’s grandfather, John E. Russell from the Russell-Townsend Company built the bridge during interesting economic and political times of Peterborough’s history.
That inspired Steve to do the documentary after learning that fact and discovered his grandfather in archived photos.
“Once I identified him (grandfather), that really accelerated my interest for the documentary,” said Steve.
Longtime retired broadcast journalist Graham Hart narrated the half-hour documentary where he met with Steve weekly to work on the project.
“Building the Ashburnham Bridge” airs at 7:00 p.m. on YourTV on Aug. 2.
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Award-Winning Documentary Showcases Kenyan Lacrosse Story in Peterborough
/Filmmaker Janet Wells of Quarry Island Films’ documentary “Sleeping Warrior” had Peterborough as one of several focuses since it was one of the major sites for the film to be released this year.
The documentary shows a true story of two girls Sharon Opari and Moureen Atieno from Africa’s first female lacrosse team, — represented by Kenya — their journey to the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships and the transformation of their lives upon returning from the event that was held in Peterborough in August 2019.
During filming, one player discovered that her deceased mother might be alive after all so the documentary filmed that her journey to find her real family as part of the story.
The title comes from a mountain the girls train under in Kenya called ‘Sleeping Warrior’. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.
Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent University and Fleming College were the sites of the world championships. This was Peterborough’s second time hosting the event with the first in 2007.
Filming was done from June to December in Peterborough and Kenya in 2019.
Janet Wells and Timothy Mwaura were co-directors of the documentary. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.
Several girls on the team have barely travelled so coming to Peterborough was a new experience in more than one case according to Wells.
“There is something about Kenyan athletes, people are just drawn to them and they’re warm and lovely people,” said Wells. “They’re very beautiful and I learned so much.”
The team got to experience boat rides, Canadian cuisine, a box lacrosse match and many other experiences that were previously foreign to them.
“They all hated salad, they boil everything and cook all vegetables,” Wells laughed. “They also don’t like cheese either.”
Several members of Kenya’s lacrosse team have only played a few games before coming to Peterborough. Courtesy of Janet Wells.
The girls were put up in several places during their time in Peterborough. Lakefield College accommodated them for three days and some stayed at Wells’s cottage in Stony Lake.
One other notable place where the girls were housed was the cottage featured in the film, “Cheaper By the Dozen 2” in Stony Lake.
This was the first boat ride the Kenyan lacrosse team had ever gone on when they visited Canada. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.
The film has yet to make its theatrical debut in Canada though Wells has mentioned giving Peterborough a private screening hopefully this year.
Despite being showcased at several film festivals and earning many awards, it is not publicly available though it is on screens in Nairobi and touring film festivals.
The Kenyan team placed 18th at the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships in Peterborough, losing to Isreal in the 17th place match, 11-10.
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Last Beer At The Pig’s Ear Documentary To Play Closing Night At ReFrame Film Festival
/ReFrame Film Festival has announced its 2019 schedule, and the Closing Night documentary is on the Pig’s Ear and the legacy it has left in Peterborough.
Last Beer at the Pig’ s Ear is a tribute to the people, the fun and games, the music and the pickled eggs—the culture that made the “Piggy” so special for 152 years. Directed by local filmmaker Peter Blow, it screens at Showplace Performance Centre on Sunday, January 27th at 7 p.m.
Pig’s Ear was iconic watering hole on Brock Street
The ReFrame Film Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary from January 24th to Sunday, January 27th. Youth Unstoppable, a film by former PCVS student Slater Jewell-Kemker made to amplify youth voices against climate change, headlines the festival.
Click here for the full schedule.
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Former PCVS Student's Documentary "Youth Unstoppable" To Headline Peterborough ReFrame Film Festival
/Youth Unstoppable, a documentary film made by former PCVS student Slater Jewell-Kemker made to amplify youth voices against climate change, will be the opening night film headlining Peterborough’s ReFrame Film Festival at Showplace on Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Jewell-Kemker say that climate change is “actually this incredible opportunity to change everything for the better.” It was while still a student at PCVS that she began her work as a filmmaker-activist chronicling the global youth movement, and most of her early work was made right here in Peterborough.
Slater Jewell-Kemker filming her documentary
Slater moved to the area from Los Angeles when she was 10 years old. “I love this area,” she says. “One of my very first short films, Peace Begins, screened at the ReFrame Film Festival, around the time I started this documentary. It always kind of stuck in my mind, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to come back here when I’m done with this film, to come back to my home area where I can bring my friends and have them see what I’ve been doing for the past ten years?’”
“Slater’s story shows us a way forward in a global crisis that often seems impenetrable, and I know it will foster critical discussion, action, and change amongst all who see it,” says ReFrame Creative Director Amy Siegel.
Scene from her documentary
ReFrame, celebrating its 15th anniversary, will showcase over 60 documentary films at downtown locations—including ten by local filmmakers. ReFrame runs January 24th-27th, 2019.
For more information on the ReFrame lineup and tickets, click here.
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PTBOCanada & StudioPTBO Launch "We Are PTBO" Docu-Series
/PTBOCanada.com in collaboration with our spinoff agency StudioPTBO have launched a brand new Docu-Series called "We Are PTBO". The series will be spotlighting ordinary citizens in the community who help make this city extraordinary.
Amino Yusuf spotlighted
The series is produced by Rob "Electric City" James from StudioPTBO and the debut video filmed at Peterborough Public Library highlights Amino Yusuf on what Peterborough and community mean to her.
Watch it below...
Documentary Premiere On Peterborough's Music Scene February 3rd At Market Hall
/The long awaited documentary The Radius Project on how Peterborough's music scene has created so many international stars is having its world premiere at the Market Hall in early February.
Outtake: Filming Serena Ryder for the documentary
Produced by Michael Hurcomb and Ryan Lalonde—who first began pre-production on this back in 2014—the documentary debuts Saturday February 3rd, at 8 p.m. at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough.
The Radius Project was born out of a simple question: “So which famous people would I know from your hometown?” The hometown in question was Peterborough and the answer was endless.
The Radius Project looks at the wealth of musicians that came from the radius around town and went on to national and international acclaim. A short list of people that grew up or relocated to the area are Serena Ryder, Royal Wood, Three Days Grace, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Silver Hearts, Ronnie Hawkins, The Leahys, producers Greg and Rob Wells and many more.
Three days grace
