Ridge at The Cinematheque

Presented by the Chan Centre in partnership with The Cinematheque

World premiere screenings of Brendan McLeod’s Ridge at downtown Vancouver’s The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St).

Often called the “battle that made Canada,” Vimy Ridge resulted in over 10,000 Canadian casualties. Through direct storytelling, verbatim theatre, and live music from Vancouver’s own The Fugitives, Brendan McLeod examines misconceptions and varying perspectives around the battle, while drawing parallels to other formative events in our nation’s past. Featuring inventive musical interpretations of WWI soldier songs, Ridge is a vivid, kinetic ride through history, as well as an intimate, personal examination of our connection to the past.

Shot in October 2020 at the Chan Centre, the film was recorded on legendary Cooke Anamorphic lenses using a variety of locations throughout the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts as the innovative set. From dressing rooms, to the canopy that soars above the stage, to the orchestra pit, McLeod and his bandmates were able to eradicate any pre-conceived notions of a how a performing arts centre and orchestral concert hall should be utilized, and transform the venue into a character all its own.

Director: Mike Southworth
Director of Photography: Byron Kopman
Producers: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Mike Southworth
Starring: Brendan McLeod, Adrian Glynn, Carly Frey, Chris Suen

These are limited in-person screenings with COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place. This film is presented in partnership with The Cinematheque as part of the Fall 2020 Chan Centre Dot Com Series.