It has only been a week since the BURNABY NOW published a list of minor mysteries which needed solving. For example, the Burnaby City Archives, the Museum nor the Library had a photo or knew of JUBILEE HALL, a landmark I needed to pin down for a location shot. Much to my delight, a Mr. John Komm nominated an old wooden building he believed is the hall. I had thought the building torn down because it was already described as being "ramshackle" by a Vancouver SUN reporter in 1953.Though the property has passed through a half dozen owners and name changes, a few minutes in the old Directories confirmed that Jubilee Hall still exists in Burnaby Metrotown, near the Skytrain line. It seems an amazing example of survival in an area that has been very heavily redeveloped. This squat structure was the site of high drama in the 1950s, when Doukhobor men and women were moved from Oakalla by the busload, to be processed by a magistrate and then sent back to prison. (Photograph by John Komm)
A Freedomite Doukhobor male (left corner) and a woman attempt to disrupt the legal process by stripping in courtroom. The women also conspired to created chaos at Oakalla Prison by burning their mattresses and refusing to eat.I enjoyed this productive week. Well over twenty people got in touch with stories to share or offering research leads to aid the project. I'm really getting the sense that the community wants this film to be made. There has actually been a stunning development which redirected much of my research time and ultimately will impact what I choose to shoot for The Ghosts of Oakalla and how the story is crafted. Unfortunately I cannot "give away" the discovery, as making key elements common knowledge would blow the dramatic impact I plan to build into the film.
Dylan Innes directing on the set of his film MANDROID, September 2009. His DOP is Felix Oltean. [Production photo - Elaine Gebert]
Yesterday I had some fun playing a minor character in a scene for a futuristic film called MANDROID, written and directed by Dylan Innes. The crew was a talented bunch from S.F.U. film school and the set was located inside the busy headquarters of the B.C. Lung Association on Oak Street in Vancouver. It was only my second opportunity to "act". The first experience was in August when student director Jonathan Pon invited me to play an unfriendly mall security guard in his comedy REBEL WITHOUT A CLUE. Jonathan's film is a parody of the film school experience and it actually reflects some of the "stuff" we went through at Broadway campus. It will be screened at Langara College on September 27 at 3pm.
