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King Weekly Sentinel https://kingsentinel.com/?p=5024 Export date: Tue Apr 30 3:29:54 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Film producer takes on controversial topic in ‘Mercy’ By Mark Pavilons Parts of Schomberg's Brownsville Junction Plaza were transformed into a movie set recently, as it became a scene of an ambitious production. King resident Shayne Maglay, a student producer from Humber College's Film and Media Degree program, chose a tough subject for his short film task. “Mercy” is the true life story of Canadian Captain Robert Semrau, the first Canadian soldier to be charged with murder in a combat zone in 2006. Maglay, his cast and crew spent the day in King Oct. 11 filming the production. He received support from the community, including Foley Restoration and Leonardo's Pizza. Maglay said as a filmmaker and former member of the Canadian Forces, he's always tried to gear his efforts towards telling either important true Canadian stories that have affected people in the past, or fictitious stories that somehow involve his favorite genres (military, politics or crime). While doing research for the project, he came across the story of Captain Robert Semrau “and I was suddenly provided an opportunity to combine everything it is that I love about film. At this point I immediately became excited and did what any filmmaker would once an idea comes to mind – I started writing.” After completing four drafts, he casted actors, secured locations and worked on costumes, props, etc. Normally, this would require a large team of people, but because it is an assignment, he did the bulk of the pre-production himself. And the message is an important one. “I have always held the philosophy that we as Canadians have a rich and diverse past, and an even brighter future should we be willing to learn from those experiences that make us the proud nation that we have become. As one of the most powerful and important media, I have personally found that film is my favorite way to share these stories, and more importantly, make people listen or at least see the world in a different way. “The story of infantry officer Captain Robert Semrau was one of the most controversial issues to arise during the Canadian Forces' decade of deployment overseas. Many issues are left to the media to dissect, report and then dismiss. It is always my goal to make something that will last, make people think, and most importantly, make people question. “The message of this film is one of betrayal, trust and accountability. There has been a time in everyone's life where they have done what they think was the right thing, only to find out that their organization sees otherwise. The film is intended to make the audience ask themselves what the meaning of justice is, as well as what they would have done in a similar situation.” There are challenges when it comes to presenting a true story. Maglay said the most important thing is that the person the film discusses actually exists. While there's a tendency to make a captivating, dramatic and emotionally gripping film, there is an ethical and moral responsibility not to divert from the truth, and keep the story within the realm of logic. “Although I can not capture Captain Semrau's case identically, I can, however, tell the story in a way that is diplomatic to all parties involved, without letting my own views or thoughts about the incident shine through. I find that it is important to remain unbiased, and let the audience choose how they want to feel themselves without me having to tell them.” As a life-long King resident, Maglay said there is nowhere in the world he would rather be. This area, he stressed, contains not only young, hard-working, team-oriented and motivated leaders, but also loyal and dependable businesses like Foley Restoration and Brownsville Junction Plaza. Without their support, he said, this project would not have been possible. Because he's a student, it has been difficult funding the project. As the film's producer as well as writer and director, he's paying entirely out of pocket. The Foley family graciously offered up their office space as the primary shooting location, and have gone above and beyond to help whenever the need arises. The actors include Kyle (who plays Cpt. Semrau), Nathan Hope (Det. Wilson), Erica McMaster (government secretary Natalie Jacobs) and Gilles (Col. Cade). According to Hope, his character has a job to do, a difficult one at that. He studied Semrau and his ordeal to get a sense of gravity of the situation and the way the military conducts itself. “As an actor, I am constantly learning and growing, always attempting to glean new perspectives and absorb as much insight as is possible,” he said. McMaster said it may be easy for us to speculate how we would react in certain situations, but unless you've lived through it, it's hard to say. She read a bunch of articles and had a lengthy conversation with a friend who fought in Afghanistan to prepare for her role. “It was very insightful to get a soldier's perspective, even if it's not necessarily how I think I would have acted,” she said. This project has “definitely made me think a great deal about the complexity of war and the laws that govern it. I can appreciate the act of a mercy kill, but I also appreciate the fact that the decision made in this case was very likely made to set a precedent. The law is in place for a reason, and the second you start bending it, things could very easily get out of control. “I cannot imagine what it would be like to take a life, and am thankful that I likely will never have to.” Once the filming wraps up, the crew will spend 4-6 weeks editing and mixing the film. It's scheduled to be finished in early December and will be submitted to various festivals at that time. Festival information can be found on his website at www.shaynemaglay.com. A trailer for Mercy will be made available on YouTube and Vimeo around that time as well. After his service in the armed forces, Maglay returned home to pursue a post-secondary education. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Film and Television Production with Honours from Humber College's North campus. He is currently enrolled in the fifth semester of Humber's Film and Media Production B.A.A at their Lakeshore campus. He's an avid volunteer for the Township of King, the Town of Newmarket, Heart and Stroke Foundation York Region North, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of York. He's won multiple awards for filmmaking and wrote/produced the Hot Docs documentary “The War at Home” in 2012. This documentary features the story of a Canadian Forces soldier who returned home from Afghanistan with PTSD. He was awarded a Canadian Forces pin for service to Canada and two letters of recognition from the Governor General's office. |
| Excerpt: Parts of Schomberg’s Brownsville Junction Plaza were transformed into a movie set recently, as it became a scene of an ambitious production. |
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Post date: 2014-11-05 09:17:42 Post date GMT: 2014-11-05 14:17:42 Post modified date: 2014-11-26 09:14:26 Post modified date GMT: 2014-11-26 14:14:26 |
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