Late night listening

A teacher’s perspective on the SK film industry

Posted by Jen Taylor on May 16, 2012 in Inspiration, Life | 0 comments

One of my grave concerns regarding the struggle faced by the Saskatchewan film industry is the message we are sending our young people. I think of students who may be in high school with talents and ambitions that might lead them to the film industry, and then I think of university students who may have already invested time and money into studies in the field.

What message are we sending them? That we don’t or won’t recognize their talents here? That we’re pleased they decided to study here but we’ll have to send them on their way once they begin to make their mark?

Last night I received the following email from a Saskatchewan teacher, and it struck me enough that I wanted to share it with you. With her permission, here it is:

“I stumbled upon your blog while I was following the Sask film industry rally to Regina on Twitter. Thank-you for voicing your concerns for the future of the film industry in our province; they very eloquently expressed many of my sentiments.

I’ll admit that I really only became aware of the activity of the industry in our province while I followed the work of Kim Coates, since I am a fan of Sons of Anarchy and I have been trying to piece together memories of bumping into him (often literally) while I was a student at U of S. I quickly became fascinated with the number of projects underway in Saskatchewan and I am now disheartened by the lack of concern by the Wall government for sustaining the viability of the industry. Who will tell the stories? This week two young men,whom I have the privilege to teach, are competing at the National Skills Canada Competition in Edmonton in Film and Video Production. As their English teacher I know them as talented story-tellers, film directors and editors, writers and musicians. We are blessed with incredibly talented individuals in this province and I would like to encourage my students to follow their dreams, develop their skills and share their stories with the world, while enjoying the wonderful life we can experience at home in Saskatchewan! The Wall government is not doing its part in conveying this message to our youth. Mr. Wall often prides himself on the economy of our province but he neglects the concerns of the people of this province for the value of our work and how the arts and culture contribute to our quality of life. Every time he demonstrates a disregard for the work of people contributing to the identity of Saskatchewan, and one year ago it was the teachers of the province who felt the sting, he encourages citizens to take their talents elsewhere. I hope we don’t lose our artists to other locations where they can follow their dreams and financially support themselves and their families.”

June Cubbon, teacher

North Battleford, SK

What could I possibly add? Only that I so appreciate June writing to share her thoughts, and allowing me to share them with you. We can only hope that our government can find their way to a more collaborative, constructive plan…and soon, before it’s too late.

Remember, you can stay updated on the story by checking out the SMPIA website and their News from Media page.