Continued interest in Oakalla Prison and the documentary

One of the Burnaby newspapers has decided that the 20th anniversary of the closing of Oakalla Prison was worth a story. Wanda Chow, staff reporter with THE NEWSLEADER phoned last week and asked me for names and numbers of ex-staff and ex-inmates who might be willing to discuss their time at Oakalla prison during its last decade of operations. I was happy to oblige. Ms. Chow's article, OAKALLA MEMORIES, graces the front page of the February 4, 2011 edition of the paper is [here].
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J. Michael "Mikey" Yates, author of LINE SCREW (McClelland & Stewart) 1993, strikes a pose for photographer Mario Bartel, near Deer Lake, Burnaby. The old prison was completely demolished 20 years ago, to make way for a massive condominium development.

I was pleased that J. Michael Yates made the front page. Mikey is not only my favorite "Oakie" but his book LINE SCREW, written after leaving B.C. Corrections, is the best account of the prison published so far. That comment is not meant to in any way diminish other books, such as Earl Andersen's narrative history of the prison (which is indispensable), but simply to acknowledge that Yates is a cut above in terms of his prose and analysis of the Oakalla experience - on both sides of the bars. Of course most of the names in LINE SCREW are pseudonyms, but let's lay the blame at the feet of M&S's lawyers, where it belongs.

Ms. Chow also included a few paragraphs on our ongoing project. The Oakalla documentary is a labour of love, like child rearing, but I trust will not consume so many of my remaining years. One final note, as I am a stickler for accuracy. I am quoted as saying "300,000" inmates and staff worked inside of Oakalla fences during its nearly 80 years of operation. Yes, I said it. Ms. Chow is accurate, as usual. But the number was 130,000 according to a 1991 press handout. My only excuse is that my poor brain was still befuddled by Kinmen Kaoliang, a fiery Taiwanese liquor. I made merry the night before the interview at a late-night Chinese New Year party. The stuff is very potent, and I still recall a few parties in Taiwan where I consumed a litre or more of it, combined with Shaoshing Wine. It usually took 10 - 12 hours to recover, and my throat always felt like it had been cut.

Oakalla Prison - metaphors

Students used to come to me when they were sweating a tough term paper. A few years ago the phone calls were so frequent that I thought my number was written on shit house walls at U.B.C. Most were Chinese students who would petition me for help, always refusing to reveal where they got my number. Through the burning line I could feel them writhing in agony as they read the assignment instructions into my sweaty ear. If I found the question interesting I would help, even if my day job was draining my energy.
My favorite questions were in film, art and architecture and I am prone to claim that I took U.B.C. Film Studies for free. A stretch perhaps, but I fielded hard balls from as far away as the University of Lethbridge. I have no time to take student calls today, but I retain fond memories of some intriguing research topics.
For reasons which escape me, legions of newcomers to our culture simply refuse to think in terms of metaphor, and it shows in their writing. Fortunately news reporters need metaphor to shape their stories. A case in point is an interview in today's paper which we did on Thursday. Wanda Chow does a good job in describing my research for the Oakalla prison documentary, employing the 'peeling layers of an onion' metaphor. Another article about the project, published a few months back, used the 'pieces of a jigsaw puzzle' metaphor which is also appropriate. Of course these apply to the research, but do not pertain to the script for "The Ghosts of Oakalla" ... yet another metaphor. Ms. Chow's article can be found in today's edition of the Burnaby NEWS LEADER, or read online here.


Ron Jack, director of OAKALLA, displays an example of prison artifacts which surface during the research for THE GHOSTS OF OAKALLA.

Burnaby Arts Council to launch a film festival in 2010

One of several benefits I enjoy is the fact that I live and work in Burnaby, B.C., the community which, in July 2009, was designated "The best-managed city in Canada". Those kudos came from MACLEANS, the Canadian news magazine which also ranks our universities. (If interested, you can read "Canada's Best-Run Cities" here.) Even though our population density continues to climb, Burnaby also enjoys the distinction of having more jobs than it does residents. It is a fact that many of the major film studios and software design firms operate from Burnaby, but use Vancouver as their postal address. We often tip our hat to the "Vancouver" Brand, but must continue to forge our own identity.

One cultural event we have sorely lacked in Burnaby, is a festival which could showcase the talents of our emerging filmmakers, those who may not be ready to compete on a national level. Recognizing their need, one of the city's busiest cultural organizations - the Burnaby Arts Council (B.A.C.), has decided to sponsor a film festival which we will launch in April - May, 2010. The details... specific dates, application requirements, sponsor information and more, will be available soon.

DEER LAKE FILM FESTIVAL

I first met Brian Daniel, the B.A.C. President, two months ago. We swapped ideas, he sold me a membership, and before long he had me enlisted for a project he had been working on. It was easy to agree on the fact we must do more to encourage students and other emerging filmmakers. We will start small, but our goal is a festival for the younger talent in the Lower Mainland - high school, post secondary students and the newly graduated, who want exposure for their best film work to date.

I was given the green light to begin the planning and promotion, and my first act was to meet yesterday with Burnaby Mayor, Derek Corrigan and discuss the festival. He was very enthusiastic and it's encouraging to know that we can count on city to play a supportive role. I am seeking volunteers to assist with the processing the submissions, and a myriad of other tasks as they arise. We believe our festival will be a good fit for the James Cowan Theatre at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, which is neighbor to the B.A.C. offices in Deer Lake. Full details about submitting work will soon appear on the B.A.C. website and local filmmakers have plenty of lead time to participate.

In the meantime contact me at runagate@rocketmail.com

Derek Corrigan, Mayor of Burnaby, displays his copy of OAKALLA. The mayor had a long association with the prison, and he was interviewed for the documentary film. Filmmaker Ron Jack (right) is at work on a feature length treatment of the Oakalla story, which will include the best moments of interviews conducted with some of the nearly 300,000 inmates who passed through the prisons gate between 1912-1991. [Philip Jack photo]

IMMINENT CONTACT wraps at SFU Studio

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." So said C.N. Parkinson decades ago, but having just observed something rather extraordinary, I can attest that in the world of student independent film making, the reverse is often equally true. "Work compresses to fit a madly optimistic shooting schedule."
From October 12 - 18, 2009 an enthusiastic film crew assembled at Simon Fraser University prepared to work their tails off. They were joined by a troupe of talented actors who collaborated on the production of IMMINENT CONTACT, a science fiction script written and directed by my son, Philip Jack.

Philip Jack directs IMMINENT CONTACT at the SFU studio. This view looks forward over the shoulder of an OMNI trooper at the flight crew of the drop-ship. [Cedric Yu photo]

My role in the project was logistical - the picking up and delivery of loads of building materials, props, costumes, and assorted consumables. I must admit that on the Monday I delivered the first load of wood frames and paint to the set at S.F.U. I was a tad dismayed. An abandoned set, comprising an entire apartment with bedrooms and furniture filled the studio from wall to wall, and it had to be cleared by the crew before IMMINENT CONTACT even had a floor to work on. And yet it WAS cleared quickly and efficiently so that construction could begin on the large drop-ship, a simple yet effective design which Philip had laboured over for months.
Student filmmaker Cedric Yu rigged an overhead camera to shoot a time-lapse film in HD, capturing the last stage of demolition and then two days of construction of the large drop-ship set. Yu's film makes for four minutes of fun viewing, and is posted on the IMMINENT CONTACT Facebook page, along with dozens of photos of the cast and the film crew.

The cast of the movie includes actors Kate Crutchlow and Sam Spear as drop-ship flight crew, with DENYC, Steven Stiller, Donovan Cerninara and Sebastian Bertoli as OMNI's.

Four OMNI troopers featured in the film IMMINENT CONTACT. They are Gunnery Sgt. Avery (Donovan Cerminara), Petty Officer Shepard (Sebastian Bertolli), Commander Grey (Steven Stiller), and Master C.P.O. Kurita (Denyc). [Cedric Yu photo]

OAKALLA to get its first screening. Yeah!
I got word today that my documentary short OAKALLA was selected for the Black Box Film Series which is running at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby. Oakalla will get its first screening on Monday, October 19th at 7 PM, and I am grateful for the opportunity as it contributes to the momentum for the feature length version THE GHOSTS OF OAKALLA, which I am currently researching and writing, and which needs to secure financial backing. The Black Box Film Series is run in partnership with the Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). My ten minute DOC will precede the feature HEAVEN ON EARTH (2008) made by acclaimed director Deepa Mehta.

Post Screening thoughts: It was amazing to witness OAKALLA, which had been edited on a MAC, projected onto a full size theatre screen. Geraldine Parent gave the film a spirited introduction and I was gratified by the interest. I answered nearly a dozen questions from the audience before remembering to yield the floor to Mehta's feature film.

The Ghosts of Oakalla and the Heroes of Kandahar

The Ghosts of Oakalla are alive and waiting to be caught on camera. When I began this project I understood its potential but I had no idea so much worthwhile material would emerge, or that I would have so many fascinating people step forward with great stories. There have been many consultations by phone, email or visit, and I have agreement with more than a dozen candidates for on camera interviews. All have agreed to wait until I have secured funding for producing the films. In the meantime I continue with the research and development of scripts. Almost everything that will appear on screen has never been seen by the general public. Where my initial film, OAKALLA, was largely historical in content, the feature will delve into issues which will make some uncomfortable. The content will often be hard hitting and it is clear that most of it will have to be vetted by a lawyer with a working knowledge of investigative journalism. Several ex-staff from Oakalla Prison have mentioned the "gag" provision of their employment contract.

OAKALLA : This is the DVD cover printed for distribution of a preview disc. Only a few copies are in circulation and a few were produced for legal deposit in B.C. and Ottawa. I have hope of a screening in November.

Many truly fascinating photographs and artifacts have turned up, and been offered for use in the production. I know they will amaze even those who worked inside Oakalla, because it's a graphic record which is simply not supposed to exist. But it does exist.

TF 3-09 KANDAHAR BOUND - One of the interests around the Jack household is following Canada's war in Afghanistan. Our daughter, Capt. Elizabeth Jack, left this week with the current rotation of troops which is designated TF 3-09. We are very proud of her and we fervently wish all of the brave men and women of the Task Force the best of luck and great success in their work.

To improvise or to modify? Student director Philip Jack has been spreading cash at TOYS R US, the HOME DEPOT and anywhere he can find bits and pieces needed to assemble props needed for his grad-film. (This one will get a longer barrel and target designator.) The script for his Science Fiction story IMMINENT CONTACT is tweaked, the film is cast, and his crew at Simon Fraser University shoot later this month.

A Film Festival for Burnaby - One of the realities of urban culture is that the cities which you and I call home and pay our taxes to, often take a back seat to some "big sister" - the big dot on the map which stands in for every municipality for miles around. Such is the case of Vancouver and the half-dozen cities which actually give it shape and purpose. The City of Burnaby enjoys the distinction of employing more people each working day than we count in our resident population. The many employers include several busy film studios and software design houses. What we have lacked are film festivals of our own, but a start-up festival is in the offing and I will have news to share with local filmmakers next week.

Oakalla mysteries - big stories buried in the heart of the city

It has only been a week since the BURNABY NOW published a list of minor mysteries which needed solving. For example, the Burnaby City Archives, the Museum nor the Library had a photo or knew of JUBILEE HALL, a landmark I needed to pin down for a location shot. Much to my delight, a Mr. John Komm nominated an old wooden building he believed is the hall. I had thought the building torn down because it was already described as being "ramshackle" by a Vancouver SUN reporter in 1953.

Though the property has passed through a half dozen owners and name changes, a few minutes in the old Directories confirmed that Jubilee Hall still exists in Burnaby Metrotown, near the Skytrain line. It seems an amazing example of survival in an area that has been very heavily redeveloped. This squat structure was the site of high drama in the 1950s, when Doukhobor men and women were moved from Oakalla by the busload, to be processed by a magistrate and then sent back to prison. (Photograph by John Komm)

A Freedomite Doukhobor male (left corner) and a woman attempt to disrupt the legal process by stripping in courtroom. The women also conspired to created chaos at Oakalla Prison by burning their mattresses and refusing to eat.

I enjoyed this productive week. Well over twenty people got in touch with stories to share or offering research leads to aid the project. I'm really getting the sense that the community wants this film to be made. There has actually been a stunning development which redirected much of my research time and ultimately will impact what I choose to shoot for The Ghosts of Oakalla and how the story is crafted. Unfortunately I cannot "give away" the discovery, as making key elements common knowledge would blow the dramatic impact I plan to build into the film.

Dylan Innes directing on the set of his film MANDROID, September 2009. His DOP is Felix Oltean. [Production photo - Elaine Gebert]
Yesterday I had some fun playing a minor character in a scene for a futuristic film called MANDROID, written and directed by Dylan Innes. The crew was a talented bunch from S.F.U. film school and the set was located inside the busy headquarters of the B.C. Lung Association on Oak Street in Vancouver. It was only my second opportunity to "act". The first experience was in August when student director Jonathan Pon invited me to play an unfriendly mall security guard in his comedy REBEL WITHOUT A CLUE. Jonathan's film is a parody of the film school experience and it actually reflects some of the "stuff" we went through at Broadway campus. It will be screened at Langara College on September 27 at 3pm.

Putting Together the Oakalla Prison story

I note that the Burnaby Now has also web published the story of our Oakalla documentary film project on their website. I guess it's fair to post a hot link , for the benefit of those who live outside of the newspaper's distribution area. (Aug 29 story) I've scraped my photo from Jennifer Moreau's story. She called it "Putting together the prison puzzle".

Ron Jack displays a couple of aerial photos of the Oakalla Prison complex in Burnaby, B.C. They were among the archival images and artifacts used in his recent ten minute documentary film - OAKALLA. (News photo by Larry Wright, BURNABY NOW)