“All awards come as a surprise.”
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) was barely a day old when Jordan Paterson got the call that his creation had won the fan-voted Audience Must See Award.
The Richmond-based filmmaker is justifiably proud of his docudrama Tricks on the Dead, which has already attracted attention via scooping “best one-hour documentary, best editing and best cinematography” accolades at the B.C.-wide Leo Awards earlier this year.
Painting the picture of the secret transport of 85,000 Chinese labourers across Canada to dig trenches and bury the dead on the Western Front in the First World War, Tricks on the Dead was filmed on three continents with the help of more than 50 Chinese extras, many of whom are from Richmond.
The film, according to Paterson, depicts China’s emergence into international affairs on its road to becoming a world power in the First World War.
However, Tricks on the Dead shows how tens of thousands of Chinese peasants had no idea what the imperialistic First World War was about.
And Paterson, who spent five years researching and making the movie, said he hopes to “restore the collective memory of those in China, and around the world, who have largely forgotten about the…men who made this journey 100 years ago.”
“People in Mainland China knew more about it; but in Chinese Canada, it’s almost non-existent,” said Paterson, when asked how much knowledge the Chinese community in Richmond and B.C. has about the back-story to his film.
“I do admit, it’s a niche story; it’s not a hot topic. But it’s very much a labour of love.”
Asked how a Richmond-based Calgarian, who lives with his wife and family near No. 1 and Blundell roads, came to spend five years putting together a docudrama about Chinese history, Paterson said, while travelling in China, he developed a deep appreciation for the country.
“I was shocked, however, by some of the stories I began to hear while doing research there,” he said.
“Stories of Chinese labourers being imported to our country is largely overlooked and ignored.
“And the irony is that China eventually emerged as a world power because of the Chinese farmers. This story spans three continents: North America, Europe and China.
“But it took many years to raise the money (to make the film) and I didn’t get it funded until near the end of the project.”
Omni TV and CCTV (Chinese state TV) eventually funded the project, with the expectation that millions of people across China will see Tricks on the Dead when it’s released there.
Paterson said he hopes the general public in Richmond will be able to see the film at a special screening at Silver City early in 2016, as well as ongoing opportunities at UBC and Simon Fraser University.
The 34th VIFF, which started last week, runs until Oct. 9, presenting around 375 films from 70 countries and hosting many international guests. In Canada, it’s second in the industry only to the Toronto Film Festival.
