Return of the Far Fur Country: British Columbia Update

Here is a brief update on our travels to BC earlier in the month to screen archival footage from the Romance of the Far Fur Country.  Chris Nikkel is preparing an extended narrative of the trip, but this will do for now.

Totems, Alert Bay, BC 1919 Romance of the Far Fur Country

Vancouver, July 31, 2012

The tour of the Romance of the Far Fur Country footage traveled west this summer with a great turn out to the Vancouver screening on July 31^st. This was my first time at the VanCity Theatre, the home of the Vancouver International Film Festival.  Tom Charity made us feel at home.  After the screening 30 minutes of excerpts from Romance, Peter Geller joined me on stage to give a brief talk about the context of the film, followed by a Q&A. 

Victoria, August 1, 2012: 

Our Victoria screening brought us to the Cinecenta Theatre on the campus of University of Victoria.  The event was co-sponsored by the Victoria Historical Society and the Friends of the BC Archives. Peter Geller again joined me for the presentation/Q&A afterwards.

The event was very well attended, followed by another spirited discussions about the archival images, particularly the Alert Bay sequences.

Chief Bill Cramner, Kevin Nikkel, and Chris Nikkel in Alert Bay, BC 2012

Alert Bay, August 1-4, 2012

The drive north from Victoria took us 5 hours to reach the ferry terminal of Port McNeil. From there we travelled by ferry to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island.  The afternoon screening at the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay was well attended and warmly received.

Happy to have had writer/collaborator Chris Nikkel along for these screenings & shooting dates, as well as Winnipeg shooter Ryan Herdman giving us gorgeous visuals for our documentary.

A big thank you to the local groups that supported and hosted this leg of the tour: the Victoria Historical Society and the Friends of the BC Archives, as well as the U’mista Cultural Centre, Vancouver International Film Festival’s Vancity Theatre, Cinecenta Theatre in Victoria, and the University of the Fraser Valley, which supported Peter Geller’s involvement. 

Thanks also to the Canada Council for the Arts, Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, and Manitoba Film & Music for their contributions to the project. 

Kevin Nikkel