Which Way Is Forward?
Almost a
century after coal miner/labour activist Ginger Goodwin was shot down,
residents of Cumberland, BC, find themselves at a crossroads when highway
signs honouring his memory are purposefully removed.
Now, just off the road that honoured Goodwin, clouds loom over the site
of a newly-proposed coal mine. While Cumberland’s young families dream of
transcending their town's traditional reliance on a boom-and-bust resource
economy, the Raven Coal Project threatens to return the region to a era that
left boarded-up buildings, slag heaps, and industrial clean-up sites in its
wake.
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Ginger Goodwin Who?
Woven through this
documentary about a town's uncertain future is the story of its unreconciled past: the legacy of Ginger Goodwin. Cumberland's most notorious mineworker took part in some of Canada’s most important
labour battles of the early 1900s. Blackballed after the bitter 1912 Vancouver
Island miner’s strike, Goodwin fought for the eight-hour workday at the height
of World War I, while boldly opposing the conscription of his fellow workers.
His influence was so great that his death in 1918 prompted Canada's first-ever
general strike...learn more.
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Cumberland Is Where?
Goodwin's Way focuses on the Vancouver Island town of Cumberland and its strong connection to its own history. Local Meaghan Cursons describes it as an "unbroken thread", meaning that locals relate to the past in the same way they relate to the present. Talking about Ginger Goodwin and labour strikes from a century ago elicits a passion that would make one think it all happened yesterday! For these folks, history is more than a dusty info plaque in a park.
The signs that marked Ginger Goodwin Way made Cumberland's onerous heritage visible outside of their town for the first time. Open recognition of this past was also meant to symbolize that the direction of their future would be a brighter one.
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What is our Direction?
Growing
up on Vancouver Island, I was unaware of the powerful history of human struggle in my area. Just as we weren't educated about the hardships faced by First Nations
peoples, nor did we learn that some of the world's most dangerous coal
mines, this country's most bitter labour battles, and the death of one
of the province's most controversial historical figures had all occurred
just up the road.
To be clear, I am not from Cumberland, but rather the next town over: Courtenay. However, my
interest in this story was personal from the beginning - I care about my
home in the Comox Valley and its future. I care to learn about the
past because I see it repeating itself around me today.
Should
our current generation be doomed to relive the mistakes of history,
simply because we are prevented from learning about it?
This question is central to my motivation in making this film.
Why Now?
Through making a film about the politics of my home, I've realized that
Cumberland's challenges are shared by individuals and communities far
and wide.
Who gets to decide how we remember our past? Furthermore, who gets to determine our future?
When
large mining projects came a-knocking, residents of this community had to
answer these questions decisively if it didn't want government and big industry to
answer for them.
I believe this community's approach to be an inspirational one.
Goodwin's Way demonstrates how Cumberland has overcome the shadows of its past, and used it as a
renewable resource to
challenge outside interests that want to continue old patterns of
exploitation.
By contributing to this documentary, you can engage in a
discourse about this community's past, where it's going, and perhaps share it with your own community. This small town has
worked and fought for generations for autonomy in deciding its own
future. This film will share that legacy further than a road sign
ever could!
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Finishing Funds
Production (filming) on
Goodwin's Way was completed last year, and many resources for production and post-production have already been
donated in-kind: film equipment and editing facilities from
Capilano
University's Bosa Centre for Film & Animation; archive photographs from the
Cumberland Museum & Archives (additional ones will be licensed from the BC Archives); and - finally - the time and energy of passionate
locals,
friends, and family.
As a fresh-faced producer, I have learned through the process of making this film that I am simply not capable of doing everything myself. As an artist, I've learned that collaboration - when possible, with experienced professionals - vastly improves the quality of a project.
Therefore, the $12,000 budget for completing this film is mainly dedicated to compensating qualified post-production professionals. From music and sound to graphics and visuals. A modest publicity budget will assist with material costs of delivering the final film.
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About The Perks
Since Goodwin's Way cannot be completed without you, we're pleased to offer in exchange for your assistance...
- Inclusion in the credits.
- You own personal copy of the finished film (digital download or DVD).
-
Tickets to screening events!
We also have some special Ginger Goodwin-related perks so you can share in a rebellious legacy...
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- A limited edition
comic book depicting the life of Ginger Goodwin, created by
LeftHand Media Co-op.
- A
Ginger Goodwin Way book edited by Jesse Birch, featuring essays by the late Jim Green, Jesse
Birch, and Michael Turner. The book also documents the 2010 exhibition of
the same name. (Donated by the
Or Gallery, Vancouver.)
- A special Ginger Goodwin pilgrimage tour with director Neil Vokey!
Delivery
Goodwin's Way will be finished no later than January 2016, though we are pushing hard for even sooner. The exact date is dependent on scheduling and working within a very tight budget.
A grassroots approach to distribution means you will be able to see Goodwin's Way at community-organized screenings, local film festivals across the Pacific Northwest, and beyond! Several film festivals have already expressed interest in the film - by joining our mailing list you can know when and where as soon as we do!
Community Support
This is my first time producing a feature film, and my first foray into the world of crowdfunding. I would like to send my sincere gratitude to these organizations for their support of this project...
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Alternate Routes
By making this film, I am driven to share this important story about the past - and the present - with my own generation, so that we can utilize history's
lessons as we build our future.
Whether or not you are able to make a contribution, please help move this film forward by sharing our campaign if this matters to you too. Also...
- Get up to speed by joining our Production Updates Email List.
- Give us an indicator signal of your support by liking our Facebook Page.
Thank you!
~ Neil and the Goodwin's Way Team