Ways we Remember

Geoff Bird received an RRU Internal Grant for Research in 2020 to complete editing work on his documentary film: Ways we Remember.

As an element of cultural memory, remembrance informs nationhood and identity in various ways, and how as a nation we interpret the world and our place in it. Within the context of social and cultural sustainability and how we adapt to change, this research examines how we understand the past and how it is used in contemporary society.
The contribution is a publicly accessible documentary that provides a deeper understanding of Canada’s complex set of traditions and practices related to war remembrance and myth-making, and how we can rethink this important past to achieve a deeper perspective on peace.
This application is to contract an editor for the ‘fine cut’ phase of post-production of a new documentary is entitled, Ways we Remember, by April 2021. As part of the War Heritage Research Initiative, the documentary draws on footage taken over the past five years from across Canada and Europe. The aim of this 30 to 45-minute documentary is to explore how literature, landscape, art, and artefacts inform traditions of remembrance and contemporary perceptions toward war in Canada. Of focus are the communities of Victoria, Calgary, Ottawa, and the community of St Julien, Belgium. The film will premiere in the Spring, 2021.