In living colour

>> Questions of racism haunt a cemetery in Speakers for the Dead

by MATTHEW HAYS

The best historical documentaries manage to bring their stories to life, no matter how old they may be. The strength of a new NFB documentary, Speakers for the Dead, lies in the fact that its story's focus is a bit of history that continues to play itself out to this day.

Filmmakers Jen Holness and David Sutherland certainly won't win any awards for breaking the rules of traditional doc filmmaking, but the town of Priceville, Ontario does prove worthy of examination. It seems years before the Scots and Irish (thought to be the first settlers there) arrived, emancipated black slaves had already established a community there. Early in the film, one white citizen says he was convinced for years that his ancestors had been first, but has since been proven wrong without a doubt.

For years, the only evidence of the original predominantly black community was a graveyard, but even that was mowed over when a local farmer saw a golden opportunity to plant some potatoes. Many of the tombstones were lost, while many others were turned into stepping stones.

Cut to the past decade, when some Priceville townsfolk decide an archeological dig is in order, to restore as many tombstones as possible and to help set the historical record straight. A committee is formed, one that includes black descendants of those buried, and digging begins.

But as Speakers for the Dead reveals, coming up with a consensus on historical record is never quite so simple. Some white Pricevillers, though denouncing race as their reason for doing so, say that even if the truth must remain buried, the dead should be left alone. They condemn the dig as an intrusion into those who have left this earth.

Holness and Sutherland have opted for the barest-bones storytelling, forgoing any Errol-Morris-style expressionism, simply allowing the essence of the controversy to play itself out through the words of the citizens of Priceville. By illuminating this largely untold story, the filmmakers offer an important contribution to Black History Month specifically and the debate over history generally. :

Speakers for the Dead premieres on Vision on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9 pm