Film trailer for an archival programme of films produced by CBUT (CBC Vancouver) between 1961 and 1965. Screening at the Vancity Theatre June 2, 2018.
Vancouver Impressions is a charming time capsule portraying a city that is much different from the city we know today. These films represent a time of early local television production when the CBC Vancouver film unit was a distinctive voice from a distinctive region of the country. CBUT’s film unit produced a rich catalogue of films that explored regional issues for a local audience. Not only are they representative of a lost time and place but also representative of archives at risk, specifically the wealth of material housed in the CBC Vancouver Media Archives.
Vancouver is always changing but in many ways stays the same- plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. These films not only document how much the city has changed, but they also reveal that its residents have many of the same gripes and concerns that we have today. It’s a Vancouver that we may not have known, but somehow we are nostalgic for.
Vancouver Impressions is an audio-visual collage that is a treat for the eyes and the ears.
Films include:
Immigrant Impressions (1965) reveals not what Vancouverites think about the new Canadians in their midst, but rather what these new residents think about their Canadian-born neighbours and the west coast North American way of life. The voices of people representing 10 different countries are heard (but not seen) on the film as part of a montage of audio impressions, which are accompanied by candid views of the city and its people. 28 min.
Producer Doug Gillingham; Screenwriter David Gray; Photography Doug McKay; Editor Mal Baardsnes
A series of short films on everyday people and their jobs produced for the CBUT current events programme The 7 O’Clock Show:
A Day in the Life of a Bus Driver (1965) This short documentary follows a Vancouver bus driver through the course of a working day. His day starts and ends at the Oakridge Transit Centre and we ride along as he travels his route in suburban and downtown Vancouver. 11 min.
A Day in the Life of A Postman (1964) The working day in the life of a Canada Postman is the focus of this short documentary. We follow a postman through a working day as he sorts and then delivers mail on his route (South Granville/Fairview). In voice-over, the unnamed ‘postie’ discusses the details and merits of his job. 8 min.
A Day in the Life of a Waitress (1964) Follows a waitress through a working day at a busy downtown Vancouver coffee shop, the Burrard Coffee Shop in the Burrard Building at Georgia & Burrard. 11 min.
City Song (1961) A "mood piece" about the city and city life depicted from several points of view: the "innocent eyes" of a little girl (Kirstine Murdoch) who wanders and plays alone in Stanley Park - the camera, which looks at the city without emotion, compressing time and distance - the narrators (Art Hives and Wally March), each with a different story to tell - and the folk group, (Joanne Thomas, Kell Winzey, Don Thompson, Clyde Griffiths) performing in the Inquisition Coffee House. The camera explores Vancouver by day and night, revealing both its appealing and alienating aspects. City Song is an unusual and effective synthesis of visual, verbal and musical impressions. 25 min.
Producer Jim Carney; Photography John Seale; Editor Arla Saare; Script Barrie Hale
This screening is presented by Jeffery Chong, Christine Hagemoen and Colin Preston in association with the Audio-Visual Heritage Association of British Columbia (AVBC), a non-profit society established to promote and facilitate preservation, conservation and public access to the audio-visual heritage of British Columbia and Canada.
Tickets at: bit.ly/2Gz2kap