Raging Grannies – Page 2 – Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints

Young@Heart

One of the most inspiring documentaries I have seen in recent years is playing in at least one theatre in Montreal right now. Young@Heart , by British filmmaker Stephen Walker, tells the story of a choir of elderly people preparing for an important concert in their Massachusetts home town. But they are not singing old folk songs and the national anthem. Classics of rock and roll and hip hop like Yes We Can or Shizofrenia take on a completely new meaning – or perhaps they just reveal their true meaning – when sung by people who are at the end of their lives. The preparations for the concert give the film a natural dramatic arc, but unforeseen events add surprising and touching turns of events. An impromptu prison concert is one of the best scenes in the film, and the death of two of the choir’s oldest members in the last week before the big concert adds a lot of poignancy. This is a must see film !

And it’s of special interest to me in the context of my own work. About ten years ago I made a film about a choir of homeless men in Montreal, called Enfants de Choeur in French and The Choir Boys in English. It was edited by Louise Côté and produced by Paul Lapointe at Érezi productions. Of all my own films, this is one of my favourites. It tells the real inside story behind the simple success story much covered by the media. The main theme of the film is the conflict between the choir director, a Mormon missionary, and the chorists who – in spite of all their addictions and other issues – aspire to controlling their own lives. As in Young@Heart, thanks to Louise, the songs really speak to what’s going on in the lives of the characters. The film was broadcast on the CBC and and on Radio-Canada’s flagship sunday night program Les Beaux Dimanches, a blessing in disguise as it came on the heels of the sound mix and on-line and prevented any theatrical distribution.

Also, right now I am working on the creative aspects of my film on the Raging Grannies, another film which will combine music and entertainment with serious social issues. As in Young@Heart and another recent film, Acros the Universe, I am planning to shoot some of the songs as video clips. This is going to be a lot of fun, for me and the crew, and also for our Granny friends who tend to be in their eighties.

Just returned from Victoria, B.C. where I filmed the 20th anniversary celebration of the Raging Grannies. Victoria is where it all started, and many of the formidable women who took the initiative for this movement are still active – a little frail some of them, but very motivated, creative and busy !

The Raging Grannies use humor and particularly satire to promote peace, social justice, and environmental protection. Street theatre has become their modus operandi, and they add a colorful touch to many rallies and demonstrations.

The Victoria Grannies initiated many of the daring stunts that have been picked up by other “gaggles’ as their movement spread across the country and then to the U.S., paddling canoes our to military ships and “visiting’ army recruiting stations. But this time in Victoria it was their own celebration, held in a church hall. And here they are, singing one of their signature songs:

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I went to Victoria because I didn’t want to miss the event, but I took advantage of the trip to interview some of the founding grannies. Here is Fran Thoburn, speaking about the spread of the movement.

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A terrific team. I have been working on this film for almost three years with producer Ian Boyd of Island Filmworks in Montreal. I wrote the treatment together with Carole Roy, author of a book on the Grannies, and Peter Haynes. The cinematographer is Martin Duckworth, and Terre Nash will edit the film.

Although we have a considerable track record as filmmakers, we have had a very difficult time raising money for this film. It’s a movie about how elderly women in society don’t have much of a voice, and how the Grannies have found a way to make themselves heard. It’s about elderly citizens who find the energy to share their wisdom and try to have an impact. It’s about a Canadian movement which has become international. But all the major English-language broadcasters have turned us down. ( We do have an agreement in principle with a French-language broadcaster, and we did receive some scriptwriting money from SODEC, our provincial funding agency. )

Needless to say, we don’t take no for an answer. Thanks to the generosity of our crew members we have already covered some important events. Stay tuned…