The Other Ordinary is one of the nominees for this year’s Ruth Shaw Award for Best of Saskatchewan at the Yorkton Film Festival.
The film follows Canada’s only travelling theatre group composed of people of all abilities as they prepare for an upcoming performance, explained Adrian Halter of Halter Media and the producer of the film.
The film synopsis details; “A theatre group based in Regina, SK and composed of people of all abilities, rehearses for opening night of their latest show. It is a play that takes the experience of the disabled along with the able-bodied and displays how they intertwine, intersect, and transform. As the group prepares for opening night, they reflect on the opportunity this professional theatre company has given them.”
Halter, who grew up in the small west-central town of Luseland, and now lives in Regina, said the idea to create the film seemed obvious once he had learned of the group.
“I had heard about the organization, Listen to Dis through a colleague and wanted to learn more about the organization,” he related. “I reached out to the Executive Director, Traci Foster (also the director of The Other Ordinary (TOO), theatre group) and when we met, she described what the organization does and how it also organizes and manages ‘The Other Ordinary’ theatre group.
“I knew right away that there was a story there and it just kind of blossomed.”
Listen to Dis Community Arts Organization Inc. is a non-profit organization that equips and enables people with disabilities to create and participate in art, for the betterment of their health, for recreation, and for the development of themselves as emerging and professional artists.
Halter said the connection to the arts was a story he wanted to tell.
“I’m always interested in the process of other artists and where their passion comes from,” he said. “When I started speaking to members of TOO I knew they had the same passion for their craft as anyone else, they just don’t get the same air time.
“My goal was to approach the project as a spectator taking in the process of bringing together a show.”
Like most films there were challenges in getting the shots they wanted.
“The filming process definitely had its logistical challenges,” said Halter. “We had been working on another documentary but due to some unfortunate circumstances it fell through. We then had to ramp things up with The Other Ordinary but their schedule didn’t quite line up with our deadline.
“Thankfully, everyone was so accommodating and open to us. It made the actual filming process incredibly easy and just a wonderful experience.
“Originally, I had wanted to film bits and pieces from multiple rehearsals but our schedule didn’t allow for that. So, we filmed one entire rehearsal day from start to finish with two cameras and an audio person and just tried to capture everything as it unfolded.
“It was a really gratifying experience for me as a filmmaker just to be a part of because their passion and attention to detail and ability to push each other as artists was a joy to watch.”
The rest of the film came together after the hectic rehearsal shoot.
“After the initial rehearsal date, we filmed several interviews over the course of two weeks before filming the performance.
“Again, I can’t say enough how thankful I am that everyone was so accommodating with their schedules so that we could meet our deadline.”
Thankfully, the research wasn’t difficult. The group was very open with me and it is a small group so it was easy to get in contact with everyone, said Halter.
“You always want more time. More time to research, more time to shoot, and more time to edit but in this situation everything worked out,” he said.
But, time was the ultimate challenge.
“It was really just scheduling,” said Halter. “The Other Ordinary was only meeting once a month when we started planning the filming so we only had one chance to film a rehearsal otherwise there wasn’t going to be another opportunity.
“Sometimes I think it might have been better to film some interviews prior to the rehearsal but because of filming the rehearsal first, we created a comfort level between the crew and the cast of The Other Ordinary. It made the interviews easier because we could go places that we might not have been able to go if we hadn’t built up that relationship.”
With the time constraints, was the final film what Halter had initially envisioned when embarking on the project?
“The film is a bit different from what I had originally thought it would be but that usually happens,” he offered. “These things take on a bit of a life of their own and you receive feedback and input from different places and then it starts to evolve.”
As for what the producer likes about the film, Halter said one segment at least is one he likes most.
“I don’t know if I would consider this the best aspect but my favourite aspect is the rehearsal scenes,” he said. “Watching them break down the script and experiment and try new things and react to one another in the moment was exciting to watch.
“It also makes the performance in front of the audience that much more satisfying to watch.”
Ultimately, Halter likes the film.
“I’m very happy with the film but it wasn’t my story to create, it was already there,” he said. “All I wanted to do was try and cast light on something that was already happening. I think I was able to do that.”
Now Halter hopes for a rather broad audience for the film.
“The target audience is anyone interested in theatre and the arts,” he said. “The film gives a behind-the-scenes look at how a show comes together.
“It’s also the story of people of all abilities using what they have to express themselves and share their own personal stories onstage.
“I think that is something anyone would be interested in.”
The film is available on AMI’s website or their app.
https://www.ami.ca/category/documentaries/media/other-ordinary
