I wish this film had been created and released when I knew less. I wish I could step back in time and have this be the beginning of my foray into Mennonite history. I wish this could have been the first time I’d encountered this story. Because that, I think, is who this film is really for.
Which is a lot of people!
I first wrote about Where the Cottonwoods Grow in November, when I posted about the CTMS conference. The film had been shown the first day of the conference, and already there had been a buzz about it. The theatre at the University of Winnipeg was absolutely packed with people for this very first showing.
There’s an appetite for this movie. We’ve needed this film for a long time. Not everyone is going to sit down with a series of books and read through and learn. Even if they want to, sometimes folks are just too busy.
But we find time for movies.
Movies are fun, and they had a set run time. Screens are easy to look at. So it only makes sense that this story would make it onto the big screen.
It was a daunting task, but filmmaker Dale Hildebrand dove in.
I first learned of Dale Hildebrand in 2019 with the release of Road to the Lemon Grove, about a Sicilian family. I figured sure, another Mennonite escaping their embarrassing past, be it religious or ethnic or both. So I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that same filmmaker was at the helm of Where the Cottonwoods Grow.
I met Dale at the MHV during Pioneer Days, when the film’s trailer was first released. He was standing next to Eleanor Chornoboy, who not only stars in this film, but also wrote a historical novel that I posted about in 2018. Turns out these two are siblings! It interests me that they have both created works that take us into the experience of the 1870s Mennonite migration. What stands out to me from that conversation was that he had that same amazement and fascination with this story that I did when I was first learning about it (and Eleanor’s novel, though fiction, played a large part in educating me on the subject of Mennonite migration). And I think that’s an important quality for the person chosen to bring this story to the big screen. Coming into it with new eyes, you know?
So what happens when a person immersed in the filmmaking world turns their gaze on the Mennonite story? This film.
I remember Dale noting that he was fascinated by the many modes of transportation that group of Mennonites had had to take in order to get to the centre of Canada. The trains, and the boats! The ships! And how deeply challenging the journey was. And their thoughts upon arrival. I mean, I don’t know how many of us describe Manitoba as a paradise or an easy natural environment in which to live. We have a longstanding tradition of complaint against the ancestors who decided to move here (as if we couldn’t just up and leave if we wanted, right? ha) — so what was it like for those who first arrived and didn’t have any of our comforts or any established supports? This is examined in dramatic detail, and brought to life with Where the Cottonwoods Grow.
Also during Pioneer Days, I had joined in a walk to acknowledge the journey on foot that those 1870s Mennonites would have taken upon landing at the junction of the Red and Rat rivers, led by Metis Red River Cart driver Armand Jerome, representing the Metis who helped the Mennonites upon their arrival. It was a time of reflection for me but also of fun, which was maybe accidental. But anyway, Armand and his horses are also in this film, along with Ernie and Doreen Braun, who were dressed for the occasion in accurate costume. And how did they know what to wear? Well, they wore the same costumes they wore for the making of the film, enacting what it was like for our ancestors 150 years ago. Doreen told me that it had been a very grueling experience… so, probably pretty accurate (would be my guess).
Anyway! So every time I’ve encountered this film in public — at the trailer release, at the first screening, and now at the CMC church in Steinbach on December 1st — the crowds have been large and enthusiastic. The only reason I even attempted to attend the Steinbach screening was because I knew there were some other large events happening in town that same afternoon and therefore because of scheduling conflicts, there might be a manageable crowd at the church. We arrived plenty early and the parking lot was already full, as was the sanctuary. However, we were told there was room right in the front row, so Andrew and I marched to the front for a great seat. (People are hilarious, no one wants to sit in the front! Except me. I will. haha) So I cannot imagine how full it would have been had there not been so many other big happenings in town simultaneously.
A question some have asked me: does the film mention of the people who were already here? Does the film mention indigenous people? Yes. Absolutely. The film not only depicts Mennonite arrival, but also features interviews with indigenous leaders today, who share their perspective and the impacts of settler colonialism here, which Mennonites played a huge part in. This is a vital part of this film.
I’ve seen this twice now and took no notes, how can you tell. Wow.
Anyway! Andrew and I purchased the DVD and are already planning to view it with friends in the new year. (Friends who could not make it to the screenings because yeah, Steinbach was a busy place on Dec.1st and that’s okay!)
Learn more about the film, including about upcoming screenings (there’s one this Sunday in Winnipeg at First Mennonite, but there will be others in 2025) by visiting mmhs.org/cottonwoods.