28 minutes to fall in love with a town that doesn't exist anymore.
A portrait of a small Ontario town, this film introduces its audience to the people of Holstein by filming them in the old-fashioned general store, the blacksmith's shop and the town granary. Old-time residents reminisce, while old-fashioned sleighs travel down the main road bordered by beautiful old frame houses.
Cinematography
Loving shots of winter light on old Ontario frame houses.
Direction
Don Owen's patient, observational approach lets subjects breathe.
Director
Don Owen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Don Owen was a giant of NFB cinema, and this represents his gentler side after the gritty 'Nobody Waved Good-bye.' It's essentially a cinematic obituary for pre-corporate rural Canada.
The film's 28-minute runtime was dictated by NFB educational distribution standards — classroom periods. Owen allegedly fought for longer but lost, resulting in this perfectly incomplete snapshot.
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