Daroshin film chronicles WWII

internment of Japanese-Canadians

Vancouver: Synchronicity is a potent force, at least in the lives of Calgary filmmaker Meiko Ouchi and Vancouver producer Walter Daroshin.

Earlier this summer, while Ouchi was busy working on a documentary project about her Japanese grandfather who was interned during the Second World War, a casting director called to ask if she would be interested in auditioning for a lead role opposite Shannon Lawson in Daroshin’s tv movie Hakujin, also about internment. She jumped at the chance. Daroshin was elated with the casting coup. ‘How often do you get a lead actress who comes to the film with as much built-in background as she does?’

Set in the early 1940s in the interior of b.c., Hakujin is about two Canadian women, one of Japanese descent and the other of English extraction, and how their friendship evolves as a result of the Japanese internment during wwii.

After nearly five long years of slugging away in development to get this project onto the screen, Daroshin will finally be heading into production by mid-month, with director Anne Wheeler (Bye Bye Blues, The Diviners) at the helm.

Daroshin says Hakujin will reunite Wheeler with production designer John Blackie and cinematographer Rene Ohashi, the same creative team that put together The Diviners.

The project is being coproduced by Vancouver’s Troika Pictures and Atlantis Films of Toronto, with Bill Gray and Daroshin as executive producers. Valerie Gray and Gary Harvey are producing and Ogden Gavanski is the production manager.

Hakujin will be filmed deep in the Kootenays near New Denver. For dop Ohashi, the location serves as an eerie reminder of the camp where his parents and actor Robert Eto, who stars in the film, were interned. Set in a deep cavernous valley surrounded by mountains, the area receives no direct sunlight from November until April. Luckily, the production is scheduled to wrap by mid-October.

The write stuff

Just a brief update on the status of a tax-incentive program for the b.c. film industry.

For the past several years industry accountants and lawyers have lobbied the government to put a tax-incentive scheme in place. Now the film unions and producers groups have joined the cause in a big way, requesting their members to either sign petitions or write individual letters to b.c. Finance Minister Glen Clark demanding action on a tax incentive scheme.

I wonder if the government will have something to announce in time for the Trade Forum at the Vancouver International Film Festival next month, or at least prior to the next provincial election.

Kidding around at WIC

WIC Western International Communications appears to be beefing up its children’s programming. Principal photography began at bctv late last month on 13 half-hour episodes of a kids’ comedy series entitled Pigasso’s Place.

The series, executive produced by Dale Andrews, is aimed at young ‘uns who like computers and slapstick humor and combines state-of-the-art computer animation with comedy, songs, stories and games.

Produced by Rowby Goren (Alice, Kroft Super Hour) and written by Cliff MacGillivray (Mutant League) and Dennis Foon (The Adventures of the Black Stallion), the series will air in syndication on Saturday mornings in the u.s. and on wic stations in Canada beginning January ’95.

In other wic news, word has it Suzanne French, director of development at Westcom, has left to ‘pursue other challenges.’ Let’s see now, who does that leave in creative development at Westcom?

World traveler

Vancouver filmmaker Tony Papa has just returned from China where his hour-long film Traveler was the only Canadian film to be screened at the Changchun International Film Festival.

Described as a journey to sacred places in both the inner and outer landscape, Traveler moves through the terrain conjured by the music of world-renowned flautist Paul Horn. The film is set to Horn’s album of the same name and was filmed last year on location in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, India, Ethiopia and Long Beach, b.c.

Papa says the festival, which is China’s answer to Cannes, took him totally by surprise. He says the opening ceremony was held in a packed stadium with thousands of onlookers; a massive flock of doves was set free in the streets to celebrate the second annual event; and the enthusiasm of the Chinese filmmakers, who will finally have access to the world market, was truly overwhelming.

Thanks and no thanks to the National Film Board, Papa says the print of the film was not ready in time to accompany him to China and a video version of Traveler had to be screened at the festival. Despite the less than ideal circumstances, Papa attracted the attention of other Chinese filmmakers, who approached him to participate in three coproductions: two documentaries and one feature film.

After a premiere screening in Vancouver on Sept. 13 at the Cinematheque, Traveler will be broadcast on CBC Sunday Arts and rebroadcast on Toronto’s Citytv.

Papa has also just completed the pilot for a children’s series entitled Bamboom: Adventures In Music and is currently in preproduction for the series.

Branching out

Local producers will be encouraged to hear that the Canadian Film and Television Production Association is opening a branch office in Vancouver at Suite 303 – 1431 Howe Street. Tel. (604) 682-8619.

b.c. branch co-ordinator Dee Dee Pincott says the West Coast office was opened to address all the issues and concerns of b.c.’s growing independent production industry. Do I hear Tax Incentive Program? The new branch will represent the interests of b.c.’s film and television producers with government, the public, press, theatrical exhibitors, broadcasters and financial institutions.

The branch’s first annual general meeting will be held Oct. 3 to ratify bylaws and elect a council. In early November, the b.c. branch, in conjunction with the national office, will host a one-day Labour Conference, the first in a series of such conferences to be held across the country. And do I hear actra/ubcp?