YORKTON — A film looking back at the contribution made by people from Saskatchewan to the allied war effort in World War II is up for a major award at this year’s Yorkton Film Festival.
Another Day's Past is among the finalists for the Ruth Shaw Best of Sask Award.
“Another Day's Past is a time machine that puts you on the front line of WWII,” explained Matthew Hood. “It includes first-hand recollections from some of Saskatchewan's WWII veterans who served in the air force, army, and navy, as well as supplementary interviews with local historians who describe the events of the war, on the home front and overseas, from an analytical perspective. Be prepared to immerse yourself in our heroes' stories, and learn more about the key involvement of Saskatchewan during the fight against Nazi Germany.’
So what about the award nomination?
“When I learned that I was nominated for the Ruth Shaw Best of Saskatchewan Award at the Yorkton Film Festival, I was thrilled,” said Hood. “I haven't had a film shown at the festival in the past, so the fact that Another Day's Past is not only being screened, but is also nominated for multiple awards, including Best of Sask, is a very exciting moment for me at this stage in my film making career.”
How important is the award in terms of validating the film and helping market it?
“Another Day's Past is a film created specifically for SaskTel maxTV, a local television broadcaster,” said Hood.” I believe that having a piece of community television nominated for the Best of Sask award puts a much-needed spotlight on the local talent and stories within our province. I think a lot of people do not realize the importance of community television, and therefore receiving this nomination is crucial to the marketing of not only this documentary, but local broadcasters, such as SaskTel maxTV, as a whole.”
And there is a level of prestige given the YFF’s history too.
“The Yorkton Film Festival is the largest film festival in Saskatchewan, and the longest running film festival in Canada,” noted Hood. “The fact that this festival exists in Saskatchewan is vital to our film industry because it creates an opportunity to network with other filmmakers from across Canada and the world, as well as promote, showcase, and market our films without leaving the province, which fosters a culture of inspiration and growth within the festival and our industry.”
As for the idea for the film perhaps not surprisingly it grew out of remembering.
“The idea to create a Remembrance Day special for SaskTel maxTV, which focuses on WWII, arose near the end of 2023 as it was discovered that less than one-hundred WWII veterans remained in our province,” said Hood. “Bobby Goulet, the executive producer, lead the charge to turn the concept into reality. His family has a strong military background, and so I think it was very important to him to provide veterans with a platform to share their stories.
“At the beginning of 2024, I was put in charge of the project and, after about a month of development, the film received the green light. I am very thankful for everyone who was involved in the making of this film. Without their expertise and specialized skill sets, the film would have turned out much differently. The production was certainly a team effort and I cannot say enough about the people that were a part of it. A special thank you to Anthony Towstego from Thomega Entertainment for permitting us to include Reginald "Crash" Harrison's story in the film.”
Reflecting back on events now decades in the past did create a few hurdles in terms of creating the finished film.
“The most challenging aspect of making this film was maintaining historical accuracy while also communicating the veterans' stories effectively,” offered Hood. “All of the WWII veterans I interviewed were over 100 years old, and they struggled to remember specific details of their experiences from about 80 years ago.
“In post-production, I had to reconstruct some of their memories like pieces of a puzzle, which was tricky because I did not want to discredit the truth behind their stories. I believe that this is why this production has been of the utmost importance to me, because it serves as a medium to preserve their lived history forever and in a way that shall never be forgotten.”
Given the poignant material of the film Hood said it is difficult to point to one particular element that stands out.
“I can't choose one aspect of the film to be its greatest strength,” he said. “I think it is a combination of the people featured in the film, the veterans and historians, as well as the beautiful archival footage and sound design that is used to provide visual and auditory context for their stories.
“Without the veterans, we would not be blessed with the freedoms we often take for granted today, and this film would certainly not have been created.
“Producing this film strengthened my appreciation for the veterans' service tenfold, and I am unspeakably grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to their stories first-hand.”
Another Day's Past is currently streaming on SaskTel maxTV Local on Demand.
