Documentaries filmed 50 years ago making debut at Winnipeg Film Festival

It’s a glimpse into the past, documentaries that were filmed in Winnipeg in the 1970s are now making their debut on the big screen, five decades later.

“It’s a collaboration on films that were made 50 years ago which is pretty exciting so this will be the first screening the film has ever had,” said Jaimz Asmundson, Cinematheque Programming Director.

The film called ‘Not Forgotten Docs: Winnipeg documentaries from the 1970s’ showcases the works of the founding members of the Winnipeg Film Group.

“It’s a very unique film community in Winnipeg. I’ve been to lots of film festivals around the world and I’ve never experienced something like this before,” said Asmundson.

The documentary includes clips from Leon Johnson’s 1977 film, ‘Yardmen’ a portrait of the CP Rail yard workers of Winnipeg. He filmed the documentary when he was 32-years-old now at 79 he’ll get to see it completed for the first time.

“I’m really happy about it. It’s one of the more important creative kinds of things that I get to do and see. I’m just really happy about it,” said Leon Johnson, director of the documentaries.

Johnson says that due to a lack of funding, he wasn’t able to finish the movie. But things changed decades later when Kevin Nikkel, the curator and editor of the archival material behind several of the shorts took an interest in Johnson’s unfinished film.

“It’s just been sitting around and Kevin found it and decided he wanted to finish it.”

‘Not Forgotten Docs’ is just one of a variety of projects being screened at the 13th annual “Gimme some Truth” documentary film festival this weekend.

“It’s a pretty unique film festival as it combines a lot of experimental works and short films and feature films and lots of talks and workshops,” said Olivia Norquay, Cinematheque Programming Coordinator.

Johnson says he’s excited to attend the premiere and has one piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers. “Take your ideas and go run with it.”