There was a homecoming of sort on Wednesday night as The Valley Below, a film by Kyle Thomas and shot in Drumheller, was screened at the Napier Theatre.
The filmmaker and members of the crew were at the Napier for the Drumheller debut. Since it was shot, the film has been getting noticed. For Thomas he was excited to show the film to a Drumheller audience.
“For us, we have come full circle,” Thomas tells inSide Drumheller. “It was a moment we have been waiting for since we started rolling. We knew we wanted to bring it back here, because everyone was so nice and we have so many memories as a crew. Making a movie can be an intense and emotional experience, so for us to come back here, and see the streets and the businesses that opened their doors to us, it is special for us and hopefully for the town itself.”
The film is a fictional snapshot of the drama in a handful of small town families over the course of four seasons. The streetscapes and landscapes of Drumheller are prominent and recognizably featured.
“We don’t hide the fact that it is Drumheller. So many times in films, you mock a generic small town so it has appeal in the States, but that wasn’t our goal. This is the place, it has its own identity. I didn’t want to hit people over the head with that but at the same time, I didn’t want to hide the fact,” said Thomas.
Over the years, he has become very comfortable working in smaller centres.
“I like the vibe, I like the community, I think that is why artistically I explore that.”
Since the film was released, it was featured at the Toronto Film Festival as well as Calgary and Vancouver. It was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for Achievement in Music-Original Song, and Kris Demeanour was nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role. Thomas is proud that it is a Canadian production.
“It has been an exciting journey in Canada. It hasn’t really played outside Canada, but I am okay with that. It is a Canadian film and it has an identity. I think we need more films like this, that are set in Canada and aren’t trying to hide that. I think that is how we are going to build a film community and a story telling community, he said.”
The film is available on iTunes.
