Local Aspiring Historian Features Midnapore as Topic of His Homeschool Film Project

We are excited to share an overview and some photos from a student we assisted this summer. He is working on a documentary as part of his home schooling project and he decided on the history of Midnapore as a topic. Here's what he had to say... I have a budding interest in filmmaking, so this summer I decided to write, direct and produce a historical movie set in Midnapore in 1927. My family and I brainstormed the project through the summer and invited friends who were excited to help us in our film shoot.

The movie is called Keep Your Friends Close and is about two friends in a developing town in 1927 who both want to run to be the next mayor (with guest appearances from Nellie McClung and Fred Osborne, then mayor of Calgary). They have a falling out over what kind of town Midnapore should become; one of them, Bennett Nash, wants the town to become a prosperous business centre, while the other, Augustus Brown, wants to bring the fair to town and make Midnapore a fun place to live. Augustus Brown wins the election and brings the fair to Midnapore. His defeated former friend Nash takes revenge on Augustus by sabotaging the Ferris Wheel, poisoning the concession stands, causing a train crash, and tripping the Sheriff's wife causing her to break her ankle! Nash realizes he has taken things too far and confesses his activities to his old friend Augustus. In the end, they reconcile and rekindle their friendship and together they make Midnapore a thriving town.

We wanted to shoot at Bow Valley Ranche because of its historical significance in Midnapore and how well it has been preserved. We are so grateful to the Bow Valley Ranche Historical Society for letting us film around the Artisan Gardens and the Ranche House! Thank you for your support of our small historical project!

-Xavier Bouchard, age 13 We are thrilled to see a project of this importance and magnitude from a sure-to-be future historian. We love the tremendous support we've seen from the local community and of course all of us at the Society.

Congrats Xavier, we are eager to see the resulting film! Follow us on social or click here to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it's released.