WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – September 8, 2016 – The Canadian First World WarInternment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF) announces launch of webseries located on the digital interactive map on its website – www.internmentcanada.ca.
“The Camps” is a cross-Canada journey into the past, present and future.
In the fall of 2015, the crew of Armistice Films embarked upon an historical journey. Armed with professional cinema cameras, four film professionals set out to document the remains of all of the internment camps used during Canada’s First National Internment Operations from 1914 to 1920.
At the internment sites, the crew interviewed a variety of individuals who have either a direct or indirect tie to the Internment Operations. They interviewed several internee descendants, including those of Ukrainian, German and Hungarian descent. They interviewed scholars, political leaders, activists, an RCMP officer, the Chief of Brandon Police Services, The Chief of The Batchewana First Nation, Museum Curators, a former Park Warden and Sculptor John Boxtel. In “The Camps”, we hear three languages English, French (including 2 fully Francophone episodes) and Ukrainian, and see equal representation of both men and women.
The idea behind “The Camps” was to create 26 mini films that are structured like a web-series creating short documentaries with a cinematic feature film style. Each of these films tells its own unique story. They address the individual camp and how each interview subject is connected to the history the audience is learning about, and why it is still relevant today.
Each of these films has a beginning, middle and end; each stands alone and works as part of the whole. The cinematic style was chosen to illicit and inspire interest in Canada’s First National Internment Operations.
The episodes are short, easily digestible, educational/entertainment tools. The series will also be shared on Facebook and other social media sites. The link to the digital map can be found at http://internmentcanada.ca/map.cfm
Armistice Films is happy to report that 33 episodes will be delivered, which is 7 more than anticipated in the original proposal and came in under budget. Coming in under budget with additional episodes is the result of a very hard working, dedicated, cohesive team who rose to this ambitious challenge.
The preliminary feedback on both the film quality and message contained in each video has been outstanding. Armistice Films looks forward to participating further in commemorating Canada’s First National Internment Operations, and is grateful for the opportunity to have created such a valuable series for future generations to enjoy.
SYNOPSIS OF EPISODE #1 – MARA LAKE
Internee Descendant, Andrea Malysh retraces the steps of internees at the Mara Lake Internment Camp near Vernon, BC.
Link: http://internmentcanada.ca/map.cfm – Clic on Mara Lake Camp #2
“The Camps” Team
Production Crew
Ryan Boyko: Writer, Producer, Camera Operator, Director (30 episodes)
Oleksandr Kryshtalovych: Consulting Producer (Cinematography)
Diana Cofini: Production Coordinator, Director (2 episodes), Assistant Director (1
episode)
Adam Kolisnyk: Sound Recording, Camera Operator
Post Production Crew
Peter Chrapka: Editor – Award Nominee, 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Orest Sushko: Re-Recording Mixer – Emmy Award Winner
Wentao Ma: Colorist
Eion Smith: After Effects
Andrea Malysh: CFWWIRF Liaison, Internee Descendant
Additional Cameras/Archival Footage
Aaron Bernakevitch: Additional Cameras
Sandra Semchuk: Archival Footage
Helen Wilson: Archival Footage
Echoes of Ukraine: Commemorative Plaque Unveiling Archival Footage
Archival photos used with permission from Library and Archives Canada
Coming Soon from Armistice Films: Feature Length Documentary ‘That Never Happened: The Impact of Canada’s First National Internment Operations’
For more information on “The Camps” please contact Ryan Boyko at: ryan@armisticefilms.com
The CFWWIRF digital map also contains over 1,000 digitized news articles dating from 1914 to 1920 that describes the opinion of the time and presents the hardship unjustly endured by new immigrants who were invited to Canada and then had their civil and human rights taken away by the War Measures Act.
During Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914 to 1920, thousands of men, women and children were branded as “enemy aliens” and many were imprisoned. Stripped of what little wealth they had, forced to do heavy labour in Canada’s hinterlands, they were also disenfranchised and subjected to other state sanctioned censures not because of anything they had done but only because of where they had come from and who they were.
About CFWWIRF
The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF) was
established to support projects that commemorate and recognize the
experiences of all of the ethno-cultural communities affected by Canada’s first
national internment operations of 1914 to 1920.
For more information on this resource or the Canadian First World War
Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea
Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.
www.internmentcanada.ca
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