Local talent in director Alar Kivilo’s short film Through Ice and Time were able to preview the fruits of their labour during a special pre-screening of the production last weekend at Chaba Theatre.
Shooting took place over six days at the Columbia Icefield and Mount Athabasca. Kivilo, known for his work on films like The Blind Side, The Lake House and Hart’s War, took a poetic, no-dialogue approach to Through Ice and Time.
The 15-minute film centres on an elderly man as he looks back on his younger years and his experiences on the Columbia Icefield and Mount Athabasca. Eddie Klopfenstein, Dana Ruddy and Dylan Skinner portray the man during different stages of his life as he explores these natural wonders.
Nico Magnan, Sean Elliot, Wyatt Bell and Erika Whitty also have roles in the film.
Skinner and the other children in the film were “just a delight to work with” and “different than kid actors in Tinseltown,” said Kivilo. At one point the kids joked that they refused to climb the mountain anymore and wanted to retire to their trailers.
Kivilo also mentioned the differences between producing a film in Hollywood and in Jasper, mainly saying the actors and crew helped carry equipment to filming locations since the production crew was so small.
“As much as I’d like to attribute it to serendipity, Parks [Canada], parents, and everyone else made [the film] possible,” said Scott Mason of Stonehaven Productions.
Through Ice and Time will have a permanent home at the Icefields Glacier Gallery once the $3 million revitalization project on the Columbia Icefield Centre is complete, said MP Rob Merrifield.
“I hope this film will inspire people to explore this amazing place,” said Kivilo.
