Next month, history lovers will be able to step back in time for an unforgettable cinematic journey commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite migration from Imperial Russia to Manitoba.
Neubergthal is hosting pre-release screenings of the documentary Where the Cottonwoods Grow Oct. 5-6.
The film captures the trials and triumphs of the Mennonite community with rare images and insights from world experts, historians, and scholars, alongside powerful first-hand accounts of the unforgettable journey.
Director Dale Hildebrand grew up on a farm in southern Manitoba, and shares how he never really knew much about how his ancestors got here.
“Going into this, I had no idea of our history. I knew nothing about our connections to Switzerland and Holland, or Poland and Ukraine. Even the idea of colonization, and how the land was taken over. There were motives behind all these things. There’s so much no information in this film, people will have to watch it five times to really gather all the little tidbits in it.”
The opening scene was filmed in the restored Friesen housebarn at the Neubergthal National Historic Site.
“The film begins in 1924. The opening sequence features a woman walking across the Manitoba, snowy tundra past a row of leafless Cottonwood trees,” says Hildebrand. “As she enters the door, we have a whole scene of women gathered to do some quilting. This woman is the reader. She comes in with a whole bunch of stories from 1824, 50 years earlier. She shares stories of their journey. During all this, the women are quilting. And with each thematic chapter, a new patch is made. By the end of the film, the quilt is completed, and the story is told.”
Cast members were gathered from across the region.
“A lot of them had an investment in these locations,” Hildebrand shares. “The lady who did the wardrobe in the film Women Talking assisted us in the wardrobe for these scenes.”
Hildebrand and his sister Eleanor Chernaboy, who plays the reader in the film, have done extensive research of that era, and created the screenplay for the production.
“Everybody involved in this project has been so supportive,” he says. “It’s got a lot of angels looking over it.”
The film is packed with prairie scenes and settings that take you back in time.
“There is colour, black and white and grainy, just to make it look like little pieces of history. Like a faspa, with little leftovers of this and that. There are still photos and reenactments, historical footage. It’s a mish mash of stuff. We’ve dug into every little archive from the corners of the earth for this film. We put it all together, to show that we got stuff from everywhere, just like a quilt.”
There are many scenes where tall prairie grass creates three different worlds in Russia, the U.S. Midwest, and in Manitoba. There’s also a Red River sequence depicting the ship crossing the Atlantic.
“From a shipyard in England, we got original blueprints of the very first ship that came over in 1874,” says Hildebrand. “We created an exact replica of that ship with special computer software. Using drone footage along the Red River, we were also able to create a steam ship carrying newcomers to Canada.”
The musical score was created by composer Claudio Vena. Some of the music combines a choir singing at the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church, and song leaders in Steinbach.
“I’ve always been proud of being a Mennonite,” says Hildebrand. “Creating this film gave me a sense of appreciation of the journey in the past and going forward. It gives us all a little bit more solid earth to stand on.”
The local pre-screenings of the film takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5 in Neubergthal’s The Krahn Barn (4134 Rd 1 West) at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 6 in the Commons Barn (5013 Rd 1 West) at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday’s showing will be followed by live music from Paul and Sara and Maxine Penner
Admission is by donation. Email mkrahnweb@gmail.com to reserve a seat.
