The Mill
The divided community of Pictou County, Nova Scotia is facing a major turning point in the fifty-year old controversy surrounding the pulp mill located on the shores of Pictou Harbour. Will the mill, considered the dirtiest in Canada, finally clean up its act or will the Government of Nova Scotia allow a new plan to allow the mill to pipe its treated waste directly into the Northumberland Straight?
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David CraigDirector
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David CraigWriter
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Ann BernierProducerAssholes: A Theory, The Mill, Quebec My Country Mon Pays, Decoding Life: The Epigenetics Revolution, High Hopes: The Business of Marijuana, Fanarchy, Arctic Defenders
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Environmental, social issues, Ocean, fisheries, indigenous
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Runtime:52 minutes
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Completion Date:August 15, 2019
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Production Budget:333,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Canada
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital 4K
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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FIN: Atlantic International Film FestivalHalifax, Nova Scotia
Canada
September 16, 2019
World Premiere
Official Selection
Distribution Information
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Vertical Productions Inc. & Site Media Inc.Country: WorldwideRights: All Rights
David Craig is co-founder of Site Media Inc. and a producer on all its films. Prior to Site Media, he worked as an analyst at Telefilm Canada.
In 2005 while at Telefilm he was awarded the Ajjiit Nunavut Media Association Industry Recognition Award for his work with producers from Nunavut.
He entered the film and television industry working on the feature film Life Classes, produced and directed by William D. MacGillivray. He continued working with MacGillivray’s company Picture Plant Ltd. as researcher and coordinator for the feature documentary I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art. In 1988 Craig was appointed Film, Photography and Video Officer for the Ontario Arts Council. David has produced a number of documentaries including the two latest Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island (2014) and Spring & Arnaud (2013). The Mill is his first solo credit as a writer and director.
My partner and I own property and live in Pictou County part of the year and have done so for the past 17 years. We know and appreciate the people and the history of the area. We have lived with the mill and its impacts. We are familiar with lobster fishers, local politicians, activists and others who are engaged in the debate both for and against the mill.
It was important to me that this local issue be given broad public attention as the issues as stake here are relevant to communities across Canada and the world. Given what we know now, what is the balance between economy and the environment? Who sits at the table where decisions are made? I felt confident that I could connect with and earn the cooperation of people in the area who can be spokespeople for various points of view. We deeply care about Pictou County and its future and want to represent it positively and progressively. We are witness to the transformations that challenge many of the stereotypes of Atlantic Canada.
I am aware that the mill is a cornerstone of the local economy and I know that the closure of the mill would have a profound effect on people and businesses in the county. I also knew that other businesses have suffered due to the mill’s presence. I was compelled to tell the history of the mill and to witness the outcome of the Government’s decision.
For too long government decisions regarding the interests of the community have been made behind closed doors and against a background where protest is ground down by bureaucratic stonewalling and secrecy. We want this film to offer an informed and balanced debate and a public forum to discuss the history of the mill and its future prospects. We want the film to offer a vision of what possibilities and opportunities can be brought to the community. Most of all we want to break the silence and offer a more informed and sympathetic representation of Pictou County and Nova Scotia at this crucial time.