Tickets can be purchased for three upcoming showings of "Clay, Creativity & the Comeback" a documentary on the Medalta Historic Clay District by local filmmaker Luke Fandrich or Editing Luke. The 90-minute documentary will be screened in the Monarch Theatre and will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Friends of Medalta Society.--HANDOUT PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Tickets are now on sale for three screenings of “Clay, Creativity & the Comeback,” produced by well-known local film maker Luke Fandrich or Editing Luke, at the Monarch Theatre in late April and early May.
Originally made in 2019 the documentary highlights efforts to save Medalta in the Historic Clay District and transform the once industrial site into a museum and community hub.
“It’s a big part of our story,” said Fandrich. “The documentary talks about, specifically, how Medalta was saved when it was already an abandoned ruin. It’s about how people stepped in and said, ‘You know, this could be a museum, and it could be an artist residence.'”
The screening of the documentary will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the non-profit Friends of Medalta Society, whose members are dedicated to the restoration and development of the historic site.
Although the documentary has been released online, Fandrich says he was never able to officially release his film to residents due to the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic
Fandrich partnered with Telus to produce the 90-minute documentary, providing a unique opportunity to share perspectives from individuals instrumental in transforming the historic site together in a single project.
“Medalta is such a rich tapestry of Medicine Hat stories and I’d never seen anybody talk about how that actually came to be,” said Fandrich.
Throughout the documentary Fandrich speaks to key members of the society, including founding member James Marshall, who was an early advocate for restoration of the site.
“It’s about how all this stuff got saved in the first place, and it’s in the words of the people who actually made it happen,” explained Fandrich. “Speaking to James Marshall and all these people who were still around, who could tell you in their own words why they wanted to save this place.”
The documentary also includes interviews with former executive director of Medalta, Jack Forbes, who passed away in 2019 and was also a founding member of the Friends of Medalta Society.
Fandrich, who would later launch his award-winning feature-length documentary “Your Cinema Needs You” spotlighting the historic Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, says he is passionate about preserving local stories in his hometown.
“We never really know how much time we have left to speak to some of those people who did these incredible projects … This is kind of poetic in a weird way, because it gave them that final spotlight to say they dedicated all this time and it worked.”
Shows will be held at the Monarch Theatre on April 30, May 1 and May 2 beginning at 7 p.m. All tickets are being pre-sold to ensure availability, and can be purchased on Editing Luke’s website fandrix.com.
