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Goodwin's Way

A documentary about a former coal town's past and present struggles for social justice.

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Goodwin's Way

Goodwin's Way

Goodwin's Way

Goodwin's Way

Goodwin's Way

A documentary about a former coal town's past and present struggles for social justice.

A documentary about a former coal town's past and present struggles for social justice.

A documentary about a former coal town's past and present struggles for social justice.

A documentary about a former coal town's past and present struggles for social justice.

Neil Vokey
Neil Vokey
Neil Vokey
Neil Vokey
1 Campaign |
Vancouver, Canada
$8,479 USD $8,479 USD 113 backers
100% of $8,454 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

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. 



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.


 

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.


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!


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.


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...

- A limited edition comic book depicting the life of Ginger Goodwin, created by LeftHand Media Co-op.
Collector items donated by the Cumberland Museum & Archives.
- 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...

    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

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    Choose your Perk

    featured

    Critical Mass-er

    Currency Conversion $11 USD
    $15 CAD
    Thank you Credit + Hand written thank-you note on Goodwin's Way Postcard ...You're riding with us, driving change.
    6 claimed
    Ships worldwide.

    Horn-Honker

    Currency Conversion $7 USD
    $10 CAD
    Thank You Credit (on our Facebook page, newsletter, and film's end credits) … for showing your support.
    2 claimed

    Sign-Shaker

    Currency Conversion $18 USD
    $25 CAD
    Thank You Credit + Digital Download of finished film … so that you can decide "which way is forward" from the comfort of your home.
    20 claimed

    Rabble-Rouser

    Currency Conversion $28 USD
    $40 CAD
    Hand-written thank-you note on Goodwin's Way Postcard + 'Ginger Goodwin Way' Sign Replica Button + Miners Memorial Weekend Bumper Sticker, donated by the Cumberland Museum and Archives (20 Available) + All of the Above ... so nobody will have to ask "which side are you on?"
    3 out of 20 of claimed

    Educator

    Currency Conversion $35 USD
    $50 CAD
    Limited-Edition copy of the "Ginger Goodwin: A Real Canadian Radical" Comic Series (Colour Print), created by LeftHand Media Co-op + Thank You Credit + Digital download of finished film + Hand-written Thank-You Note on Goodwin's Way Postcard … just by owning it, you are actively proliferating Ginger Goodwin's legacy!
    10 claimed

    Organizer

    Currency Conversion $53 USD
    $75 CAD
    DVD Copy of film after its release + Thank You Credit + Hand-written Thank-You Note on Goodwin's Way Postcard … so you can organize your own screening for friends and family.
    4 claimed

    Organizer II

    Currency Conversion $70 USD
    $100 CAD
    Screening DVD copy (non-theatrical) of the film after its release + Q&A with Director, either in person or via Skype + Thank You Credit + Hand-written Thank-You Note on Goodwin's Way Postcard …so you can organize a screening for your community!
    5 claimed
    Ships worldwide.

    Solidarity-Show-er

    Currency Conversion $106 USD
    $150 CAD
    2 tickets to a screening in Vancouver B.C., or Cumberland, B.C. + Thank You Credit + Hand-written Thank-You Note on Goodwin's Way Postcard + DVD of finished film after its release … so you can see the film with others and experience the power of numbers!
    3 claimed

    Agitator

    Currency Conversion $141 USD
    $200 CAD
    2 tickets to one of two screenings in Vancouver B.C., or Cumberland, B.C. + DVD Copy of film after its release + Limited-Edition Colour Print of the "Ginger Goodwin: A Real Canadian Radical" Comics + Thank You Credit + Hand-written Thank-You Note on Goodwin's Way Postcard … where would the Educators and Organizers be without you?
    6 claimed

    History-Maker

    Currency Conversion $352 USD
    $500 CAD
    Ginger Goodwin Pilgrimage with Director Neil Vokey: includes stopovers at Cumberland Cemetery where Goodwin is buried, the Cumberland Museum and Archives, Lunch + Generous Supporter Credit (Individuals only) + Everything from 'Agitator' … because you've certainly made your mark!
    0 out of 4 of claimed

    Way-Paver

    Currency Conversion $705 USD
    $1,000 CAD
    Contributing Producer Credit (Individuals only) + Everything from 'Agitator' … because you're following 'Goodwin's Way' off into the sunset while the rest of us watch your name roll by in the credits.
    1 out of 5 of claimed
    sold out

    Speech-Maker

    Currency Conversion $70 USD
    $100 CAD
    3 out of 3 of claimed
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