Loyalties was shot in Lac La Biche in the summer of 1985, and featured many local residents as extras. The movie was featured In the Toronto Film Festival, and after it was shown, crew members came back to Lac La Biche for the gala premiere.
Loyalties was written by Sharon Riis, a one-time resident of the Lac La Biche community, and directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Ann Wheeler. Loyalties is about the relationships between an upper-class Englishwoman, played by British actress Susan Wooldridge, her husband, played by Kenneth Waslsh and their housekeeper, played by Tantoo Cardinal. The storyline touches on culture, race domestic violence and crimes against women and children.
Wesley Seminovich was just seven when he played a young character, Wayne Ladouceur, in the film. Now, 35 years later, the Lac La Biche family man remembers the significance of the film and the way of life it portrayed.
“Life was simpler then; no cell phones, no internet, no one was in a hurry. It was peaceful and tranquil; it seems that everything moves at a hectic pace now, people have less time,” he said, admitting that memories from his childhood acting role are a little lost over time. “I was really young, around 7 years old. I don’t remember a lot; I remember early mornings to shoot and playing with the other kids,” Seminovich said, but remembering that it was a pretty great experience to be part of a movie.
At the time, to have an international movie shooting in a rural community with a population of less than 5,000 was exciting for a lot of residents. Many location shots of the movie, like the backyard of a home in Lakeview Estates, the outside walls of Truckers Saloon and the inside of the Almac’s Jigger’s Tavern are still mentioned in discussions about the community’s brief brush with Hollywood.
“It put the little town on the map. Everyone in the community became involved. It was an exciting time for people in the region,” said Seminovich, “It generated a lot of excitement and was a great experience!”
Cultural and social significance
The movie isn’t only important in the history of the community. Loyalties was nominated for eight Canadian film awards at the 1987 Genie Awards, winning one for best costume design. Wheeler won two best director awards the same year, one at the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association (AMPIA) awards and one at Creteil International Women’s Film Festival held in France. Wheeler tells the Lac La Biche Post that the film’s messages about culture, family and violence applies today as it did 35 years ago.
“It seems to really ring true still today. And I've shown the movie in the last few years, a couple of times, and people say it was far ahead of its time. There's movies today that are being made on similar subjects,” said Wheeler.
The movie highlighted a situation that has, unfortunately, become all too common for women and children.
“I hope a movie like this reaches out to people living in similar situations and inspires them or encourages them to step forward and, and reveal what's happening,” Wheeler told the Post last week, “so those who are get help because these situations are still prevalent. And especially right now with the world going through so many children being exploited and abused — it's hopefully — not just the women to come together to think and stop it — but, everybody in this together.”
A new generation
Loyalties was released to an international audience with small box office and home video returns. Over the years, the movie has seen some critical acclaim, and continuing interest. Copies of the film, however, can be challenging to find, commented Wheeler, who hopes that recent technology will make it more accessible to the public.
“I'm happy to say, we’ve found a way to get it digitized, so that it will live on because people see it as being very contemporary,” said Wheeler.