By Stephanie Froese
paNOW Staff
A local film that answered a call for an environmentally friendly project will premiere today at St. Mary High School.
Two and a half years ago, a call was put out for filmmakers to create content on an environmental friendly project.
Marcel Petite, the film's director, decided to document a group of Grade Nine student from Cumberland House that were on the verge of building an energy efficient house.
“Well I sent an email and then made a call and got together and the next thing you know, two years later, made a bunch of friends, made a feature length documentary with my film partner Angela Mae Edmunds,” Petite said.
The pair drove several hours to Cumberland House once a month for the fly-on-the-wall approach they took on the film that was named the Pisim Project.
“We made a really beautiful film. It’s a nice story about a community and how a school and friends can come together.”
The students from the Northern Lights School Division got together with the College of Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan to make this film.
Petite said he believes it is up to young people to start taking charge of the environment around them.
As an example he said the houses built today are not really energy efficient. These students who participated in the film have a better understanding of how to create energy efficient home.
“A lot of the kids would love to do this style of house for themselves when they get to a certain age and they have to build their own … we all learned something.”
Petite said he has seen his share of environmental films and admits it can be difficult to make one that doesn’t leave the viewer a depressing message.
“This is a feel good movie. You can still learn about the environment, you can still do something positive about you community and your world without going. Oh my god! The whole worlds going to die,” Petite said.
The film plays at 7 p.m. today before next being shown in La Ronge on Nov 30th.
sfroese@panow.com
