Film and New Media

 At the Edge: Age, Injury and the Positivity of Grappling (2018)

Documentary
Credit: Director, Writer, Research

  • 2018 People's Choice Award, VOX Popular Media Arts Festival

A film about the Leading Edge, a thriving community in Thunder Bay based on grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other combat sports. For the grapplers, participation comes with a price. Many bare scars but battle wounds rarely discourage these warriors.

Where the Poppies Grow: The Lakehead at War (2018)

Poster of Where the Poppies Grow30 min, Docudrama
Credit: Historical Research

Where the Poppies Grow is a short docudrama about one soldier  during the Great War.  Alfred Saxberg was a first generation Finnish Canadian who signed up at the beginning of the war and was fortunate to return home in 1919. When the Great War ended In November 1918, the people of the Lakehead could take pride in the contributions they had made. Over 6,200 people enlisted either as volunteers or conscripts. At home, the community supported the war by raising money to assist soldiers’ wives, children, and other dependents. There were also campaigns to help finance the purchase of military equipment and to send personal items to the soldiers overseas. By the end of the conflict, approximately 300 people  from the Lakehead were killed overseas or died of illness due to their war service.  Thousands more were wounded in body and mind. Where the Poppies Grow is a docudrama that looks at the sacrifices made by people from the Lakehead to secure victory in the war.

 

The Lakehead Finns - The Working Class 1900-35: "Hard Work Conquers All" (2016)

Educational Website - http://lakeheadfinns.ca/
Credit: Historical Research / WriterScreen Shot of Lakehead Finns

Funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), The Lakehead Finns allows users to explore the Finnish experience and Finnish working-class culture in Canada. It is intended to assist Canadians understand the place of Finnish immigrants in the annals of the history of the Canadian labour movement and the political evolution of Canadian society. Through text, oral testimonies, and video the story of how Finnish immigrants brought to Canada their experiences with Tzarist Russia and the Russian Revolution and how their politics shaped the Canadian left is outlined. It will eventually be available in French, English, and Finnish.