To The Haldimand Press
CANFIELD—Windecker Road Films and Canfield Community Centre invite you to the premiere screening of the home-grown documentary Canfield Roots on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 7 p.m. in Canfield.
Doubling as a fundraiser for the Canfield Community Centre, which was featured in the series, the evening will also include an introduction to local history by historian Sylvia Weaver, an exciting live auction featuring fantastic local donations, and a question and answer session with Director Graeme Bachiu and Street family descendants Aileen Duncan and Spencer Martin, who are featured in the documentary.
“There’s no better place for my first Canfield Roots screening than Canfield Community Centre. The team at this hall was so helpful and accommodating as I shot the film, so it’s important to me to show my gratitude for their support. And, it’s key to recognize the important role that all community halls play. Canfield Community Centre, and other rural halls like it, are vital to maintaining and strengthening community bonds and providing a space for groups to gather,” said Bachiu.
This first-ever in-person screening of Canfield Roots will debut a 75-minute director’s cut of the popular series that aired earlier this year on numerous PBS stations across North America, including WNED PBS – where the first episode alone garnered over 10,000 viewers from southern Ontario and western New York, prompting the station to add a second run for the series in the spring. The original documentary series, made up of six 25-minutes segments, is available for digital rental or purchase at
windeckerroadfilms.com.
The evening’s auction will be helmed by a guest auctioneer, local Haldimand County Ward 6 Councillor Bernie Corbett. Items available include a limited-edition framed Canfield Roots Poster donated by Bachiu, a signed book by Canfield author Brad Smith, a luxurious gift basket and experience from Purple Haven Lavender Farm, a chocolate charcuterie plate from Sweet Retro-Spect, and more.
Canfield Community Centre President Bart Barnes is looking forward to hosting a big event once again. “Over the last two years of the pandemic, we’ve had to keep our hall closed and have therefore lost a great deal of revenue. This fundraiser will go a long way in helping us gain some revenue to help maintain the hall and keep our rates affordable for community members,” said Barnes, who has been president of Canfield Community Centre for 15 years.
As with many rural halls, Canfield Community Centre is a popular choice for family Christmas parties and birthday parties, wedding showers and baby showers, as well as smaller weddings and stag and doe parties.
Admission to the Canfield Roots screening is $10 per person. Popcorn, drinks, and Canfield Roots DVDs will be available to purchase. Those interested in purchasing tickets can send a message to the Canfield Community Centre on Facebook (link: fb.me/e/2tlqD8I0b), call or text 905-772-5790, or buy tickets at the door.
“I can’t wait to celebrate in Canfield with the many people who helped make Canfield Roots possible – from our incredible cast and crew, to our sponsors, to the many locals who shared their family history with me,” said Bachiu. “This was a real passion project that spanned three years, and I’m truly grateful to the many people who gave of their time and talents. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Sharing the history of some of the Black families who lived and thrived in a small rural town, Canfield Roots follows present-day descendants in Canada and the US as they learn about their family history, share their early experiences, and fight to preserve the Street cemetery, now the focus of a restoration project. Located on private land, the cemetery is the final resting place of freedom seekers and the last remaining evidence that those freedom seekers lived in Canfield. To view the Canfield Roots trailer, visit
windeckerroadfilms.com.
Educators interested in educational licensing of the Canfield Roots docuseries can visit McIntyre Media for more information and to order the series. Groups wanting to book an in-person or virtual screening, complete with personalized Q&A with Director/Producer Graeme Bachiu, will be sent a screening toolkit including pricing and event planning tools and tips. Contact graeme@windeckerroadfilms.com for more information.
To stay up to date on the ongoing story of Canfield Roots, learn about other Windecker Road Films productions, and access links to all Windecker Road Films productions, join the email list at windeckerroadfilms.com.
Windecker Road Films is a Cayuga-based media production company focused on character-driven short films, broadcast, and branded documentaries. Founder and Filmmaker Graeme Bachiu was named a 2021 Breakthrough Fellow by the Documentary Organization of Canada. While Bachiu’s films have been screened at film festivals around the world, they remain rooted in the rural area he lives in. Current projects include Canfield Roots, Definitely The Hard Way, Shane Dreams of Sweet Corn, and Music From Windecker Road. Join the email list at windeckerroadfilms.com to stay updated on all the latest projects. Follow Windecker Road Films on Facebook at @windeckerroadfilms and on Instagram @graemebachiu.
