A fledgling local group of filmmakers have taken a big step forward with the coming release of their first full-length feature film.
The Distance Between Bars and Benches was shot at locations across the Pembina Valley with local talent. It’s set to be released later this spring
Headed up by lead filmmaker Santi Larrauri, Pembina Valley Films is in the post production phase for the The Distance Between Bars and Benches, so it is an exciting time for them to be about to release the results of their efforts that drew on local talent and locations.
“It was exciting to see how everybody was able to rise to the challenge, the whole group,” said Larrauri. “It was nice that they developed so quickly.”
The film centres around Jolene, who after suffering partial amnesia from an accident embarks on a quest for clues of what happened that night. She soon discovers, though, that the truth comes at a price.
Starring Kelsie Dorge as Jolene, the film also features such local talent as Xander Klassen, Julie Myers, Larrauri himself, Alexander Peters, Darien Dawley, Nick Pharoah, Tim Aliev, Keith MacLean, and many more.
The Pembina Valley Films group had started out with a number of short films but with the idea that they would work towards doing a full-length feature film, Larrauri noted.
“I had to develop a theme right from scratch,” he said. “When the team started to get more positioned in their craft, we decided it was time, so I wrote a story.
“It was originally a story I was supposed to write for a client. I sent it to him, and I said to my partners okay, this is actually something we can afford to make,” he said.
Larrauri touched on the story idea.
“After months of therapy with little success, the doctor tries a different approach. He releases [Jolene] back home with strict instructions that nobody is to speak to her about any of it … she’s supposed to remember the events organically on her own,” he explained. “She pursues the truth … but it’s not necessarily a good idea that she pursues it because when she discovers it, things spiral down from there.”
Larrauri recalled reading about a real-life a case like this years ago.
“It never got out of my mind. I remembered the story … so I decided to develop something similar to it … and I added a few twists and turns.”
Larrauri said it was a somewhat daunting task to contemplate at first with limited resources and basically a crew of just three people.
“The community really pitched in. We made our budget stretch. We got free locations,” he noted. “The town really helped us out. We couldn’t have done it without Morden.”
Filming was limited to weekends over the course of several months, as all involved have full-time jobs and other responsibilities.
“It was challenging, but we had great help. The actors we chose from local theatre groups here. Most of them had experience with acting,” Larrauri said. “Most of them didn’t have any experience with film though except for the ones I used in my short films. It was a nice experience … working with them and seeing the, transferring their skills from theatre to cinema.”
Larrauri has a real appreciation for the level of talent here in this region.
“We have quite a good theatre community here,” he said. “When we advertised for auditions for this, we were surprised by the number of people. We had over 60 people show up … and we ended up extending it … we eventually used most of them even as extras. It was nice.
“When I wrote the script, I already had some people in mind for the characters. I already had people in mind who were all local,” he added.
It seemed like a natural fit for Xander Klassen to be involved, as he very much grew up around theatre and acting, with his father, Richard Klassen, being the lead producer and director with Candlewick Productions.
“I’ve been around acting most of my life. I believe I was four or five years old when I started acting with Manitoba’s Passion Play,” he noted.
“This is the first time on film, so it’s quite new for me,” Klassen said, observing that theatre acting is quite different from film. “It’s a unique experience.”
“It’s definitely something I came to enjoy. I started with some nerves with auditioning and all that, but it really is amazing to be on set and to work with people who had maybe done this before but maybe it was their first times too. It is very much surprising how much talent there is in this area,” said Klassen, who added he also likes the storyline. “It is really a story of what was lost and all of the characters wanting to repair that … all of the characters have lost something from this accident.”
Playing the lead character of Jolene is Kelsie Dorge. She said the film shoot was quite intense and challenging, but also exciting.
“It really is a great story, and the people who have put so much time and work into it is really something. It has been amazing.”
She was immediately interested when approached about it.
“I’ve always been into theatre, always been in choirs and in bands,” she said. “And I had worked with Santi on a couple short films … I’ve already been working with him and his team.
“I instantly was, you know what, I’ve got to try,” she said. “It is kind of a childhood dream come true. I’ve always been into theatre, always had a childhood dream of being in a movie … so I had to be a part of it.
“It was very much daunting but extremely exciting,” said Dorge. “It was absolutely exciting to see that kind of interest and that level of talent in the area.”
The Distance Between Bars and Benches is aiming for a release date of late May. Larrauri plans to have a local premiere for it and to submit it to film festivals and perhaps to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
