Thank You Trail,
As the Director/writer of Trophy Town, Trail’s recent screenings at the Royal and the reaction to the film, was truly overwhelming and very humbling.
When I first arrived in 2019, to begin filming interviews with the 1961 team members, I knew that the Smoke Eater’s incredible story had to be handled with care. The community and the team are so entwined.
The story is almost mythical. But for me, this was never a film about hockey, it was always about brotherhood and community, about dreams and the work and dedication necessary to making those dreams come true. It was about asking players to reflect back 60 years to recount events and moments, with precision, clarity and honesty!
High caliber hockey may have been what they played, but role models and community leaders is where they truly left their mark.
When we unpacked our cameras in 2019, I was drawn to the players and the community, the kindness and support from every corner, it was very moving. We were all one big team pulling together to share the story. The many rare images provided by player’s families and supporters was a huge factor in illustrating their international road trips. On our next visit, the weather cooperated with plenty of sunshine for autumn filming, when the region is bathed in technicolour.
Covid threw in some challenges in the editing stages, but we overcame the hurdles to complete the film.
Our plans for rolling out Trophy Town are ambitious; we’re eyeing the entire country and then the world! A feel-good story in a world that could use more feel-good stories…
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone in Trail for entrusting me to share your proud legacy.
This has been the most rewarding experience in my career.
Robert K Barrett
Read: Trophy Town doc brings back fond memoris for ‘61 Smoke Eaters Doc
sports@trailtimes.ca
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