Watt’s documentary was shown in the Boissevain Community Theatre on May 23. The story of Russ Gurr, known as the Singing Farmer, was a fascinating one, and one that has an interesting beginning. The Boissevain-based filmmaker was attending a workshop at ACC put on by MTS, in which speaker John Barnard told his stories of filmmaking in Manitoba. During that talk, Kim Bell, the production manager of MTS’ Local Expression, said they would fund stories on two people from Brandon. One was violinist James Ehnes. The other was Russ Gurr.
“I was literally sitting in front of Kim,” Watt explained. “I turned around and quietly said ‘that was my grandfather.’ To which Kim said ‘then you should do it!’ So, I did. It just took about a year and a half of contemplation.”
Gurr, born in Arrow River, became well known as a live performer on CKX television in its early days, made albums and did major and interesting tours while still running a farm outside of Brandon. During his career he became very well known for his songwriting, yodeling and tireless and professional performing ethic. However, for his granddaughter, this was not a part of her developing years.
“I had no idea growing up that he was a big deal. My parents’ had copies of his albums and eight tracks but by the time I was old enough to want to listen to him we didn’t own anything to play them on. He would belt out a tune here and there, but that was no big deal either.”
The film tells the entire Russ Gurr story, from his beginnings on the farm to his death in 2011. Within are the early challenges, including his younger brother’s death to his own health challenges as a young man. His musical side, which started by chance with winning a guitar in a raffle, flows out through the early days with CKX and then on to more live performances. The idea of touring with a band on the Federal Grain Train (with a Gurr song to match) to promote Federal Grain might seem unusual to modern audiences, but it is a look into entertainment in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Highlights like making albums and performing for people like John Diefenbaker, and in 1970, the Queen, are big parts of the film.
“I remember hearing about his performance for the Queen, but I thought he performed for her in England,” Watt said. “I guess his grandiose presence maybe intimidated me so I didn’t ask for clarification. Funny how adults can have that intimidation factor. I definitely didn’t dare touch his guitar, but again, I think that was the intimidation factor. He never would have reprimanded me in a harsh way, it’s just this knowing, I guess, that you didn’t touch grandpa’s guitar. It was sacred.”
Gurr also farmed during this period, and part of the film focuses on the challenges of family members keeping the farm going while Russ was away. Also, at times the frustration of getting him on the road at the last minute pops up. This gives the documentary the overall human feel that is sometimes missing from these stories.
Watt said it took a little over a year to make the documentary, with six months to edit.
She gives a lot of credit to others for their part in the film. For example, Brandon music legends Bill and Sue On Hillman, who backed Gurr in the Western Union, were great interviews, and Bill had the only footage of him from CKX. Watt’s research also led her to Dennis Stephens, who hired Russ to sing for Federal Grain. She contacted him, and though he was surprised to hear from Gurr’s granddaughter about a documentary, his presence contributed a lot to the film.
Graham Street was the photography director, and Watt said she appreciated his support for her “crazy ideas”, including shooting the opening in Gurr’s old house. She gives a lot of credit to her editor Craig Cemystruk, who waited for her to visualize the story and became invested enough to make some changes right before the premier of the film in Brandon on April 2.
Locals like Brad Peters, who narrated parts of the film, and James Ritchie, who provided some music, also contributed, as well as Gurr’s family members.
Watt originally got involved with film making through Cemystruk, who asked her to interview his subject, DC Comics artist Curt Schoultz, and she started from there. Since then, she joined Patchworks, a group from Brandon that collaborates on short documentaries.
“Our focus is stories about local people who are passionate about what they do. It’s been vital to my development as a storyteller. We only get 10 minutes to tell their stories, which can be tough when there’s usually so much to tell.”
One of her films featured Casey and Christina Guenther of 1894 Art Centre, and she is planning to shoot one on Smith Racing this summer. She said she is drawn to filmmaking in order to tell stories.
The crowd in the theatre was a little smaller than Brandon, but Watt was happy with it and she said Boissevain’s cinema is a “magical place” and she is very “smitten” with it.
“Maybe the doc is a reminder of him,” she said. “For me, I feel like he’s been let go. We (family) can move on now.”
Please Bring Your Guitar will be be shown at the Riding Mountain National Park Film Festival at Wasagaming between July 11-16, 2017. DVD’s of the documentary will also be available at the Boissevain & Morton Library.
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff
ARCHIVE PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIE WATT