They set out to tell the story of a building, but instead the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society found itself immersed in the history of a region, its people and a community.
VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Castle is a new documentary produced to capture the history of the landmark and provide more historical context for the roughly 150,000 visitors that come through its doors each year.
The filmB次元官网网址檚 director, Robin Adair, who is also a society board member, set out initially to produce a 10 minute film on the castle, but as he dug into its history and began to unearth archival materials, he knew he needed room to let it breathe.
B次元官网网址淲e uncovered all this fantastic stuff, so the thing started to really balloon and it turned into this opus,B次元官网网址� Adair said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 lots of things that surprised me. It seemed like every day there was some new thing that was uncovered that I hadnB次元官网网址檛 expected.B次元官网网址�
Clocking in at just under an hour, the final film is a Ken Burns-style doc (think voiceovers and pans of photographs), but with some reenactment and a local feel. Interview footage is also incorporated, featuring notable figures associated with the castleB次元官网网址檚 history, including historian Pierre Burton, who graduated from Victoria College in 1937, and James K. Nesbitt, a journalist who founded the historical society in 1959, ensuring the siteB次元官网网址檚 preservation.
The film tells the story of the castleB次元官网网址檚 creation, along with its role in the community over the years, after serving as a home to the Dunsmuirs. The castle has stood as a military hospital, one of the original locations of Victoria College (the future UVic), school board offices and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
B次元官网网址淓verything ties into a greater sense of community. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just about the castle, itB次元官网网址檚 really about Victoria and our collective history,B次元官网网址� said Elisabeth Hazell, manager of operations and development. B次元官网网址淭his documentary, in particular, is a really excellent way for those who are interested in learning more about the city to do so.B次元官网网址�
Hazell did some of the voiceover work on the film and also acted in a couple of the reenactment scenes. She plays a Dunsmuir daughter in one scene, and a secretary during a scene set in the school board era of the castle. Dressed in costumes on loan from Langham Court Theatre, Hazell said it was a new and rewarding experience to be in the castle and dressed as those who lived there would have.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very different from B次元官网网址� walking around as an authority figure, to actually be in the space and be in costume.B次元官网网址�
As with HazellB次元官网网址檚 experience, the documentary is intended to inspire viewers to see both the castle and Victoria as a whole in a new light and help them to tap into the stories and history of the area.
B次元官网网址淧eople say, B次元官网网址極h well, in Europe they have real history, in Canada we don't really have history,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Adair said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 because we donB次元官网网址檛 know our history. To do this is a chance to really, for the first time for a lot of people, hear what was really going on 150 years ago.B次元官网网址�
Next up is reediting the film to multiple lengths for various purposes, such as online promos and school screenings. The full-length movie is being screened Fridays at 7 p.m. at the castle, 1050 Joan Cr., until June 8 and likely beyond, if demand calls for it.
