Millefiore Clarkes cares about the environment.
She is also concerned about farmers.
The Belfast, P.E.I. resident combines her concerns in a new film, Island Green.
Using beautiful imagery and poignant stories from organic farmers, the 25-minute film explores a healthier future for Canada’s smallest province.
“It’s a topic that I care about, myself. My partner, Daniel McRae, works in ecological forestry and knows a lot of people who are tied to the land and discuss issues of the land. So, I’ve been exposed to different issues through him,” says the P.E.I. documentary filmmaker whose film enjoyed its world premiere at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax earlier this month.
“It was exciting. It was the first time that it had ever been in front of more than a handful of friends. This time, it played at Park Lane Cinemas in a surround sound theatre on a super big screen.
“It was also nerve wracking because you’re sitting there, waiting for the audience’s response,” says Clarkes.
But, in the end, it was a good one.
“The reaction was very positive,” says Clarkes.
In fact, the film, written and directed by Clarkes and produced by Paul McNeill of the National Film Board of Canada, as part of the Georgetown Conference, will be screened at the King’s Playhouse on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s the P.E.I. premiere. Beyond that, I’m talking to different organizations,” she says.
Because it’s a National Film Board production, the producer is interested in getting it into festivals.
“This is wonderful for me, as a filmmaker. But, for the film, its most important use is to show Islanders,” she says.
The production, which is about land stewardship, took months in the making.
“Because the issue is so complex, it took a lot of time. You’re talking about agricultural practices, traditional agriculture, food security, industrial farming, land stewardship and the environment, rural communities, so it’s a very multifaceted.”
Like a journalist, she felt that she needed to cover all perspectives.
“I respect everyone’s input. I respect conventional farmers. I see them out, working 18-hour days and working harder than I ever will. I know that they care for their land and they’re doing the best that they can and they’re caught in a system they didn’t make.
“So I wanted to talk to them and get their perspective. I wanted to talk to organic farmers. And there’s all different kind,” says Clarkes.
In the end, the film features Raymond Loo, Margie Loo, Mark Bernard and Ian Petrie.
“It’s about a conversation that has started. Hopefully, the film will add some momentum or inspiration because I want that conversation to continue,” she says.
