Producer Violet Rosengarten and film writer/director Alan Collins bring a transit love letter to Dartmouth
It had its debut at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival.
It screened at this year’s Atlantic Film Festival. Now Terminal, the warts-and-all love letter to the Metro Transit Bridge Terminal, is getting a free public screening at Alderney Landing Theatre.
Terminal was written, directed and edited by Dartmouth-based filmmaker Alan Collins and produced by his wife Violet Rosengarten. The documentary focuses on people who pass through the busy station throughout a 24-hour period.
Collins, who made the film after becoming the AFCOOP 2013-14 Filmmaker in Residence, was inspired by a 1961 British film called Terminus (view it here) about a day in the life of London’s Waterloo Station.
“I see Terminus as a kind of time capsule of life in a certain place and time, and I think Terminal captures that same feeling,” Collins said in an interview from his home only minutes from the Bridge Terminal. “You can see what people are wearing. You can see what they’re preoccupied with.”
The film is a mix of serendipitous and staged scenes, although all the scenes are based on actual events.
“There were certain things we couldn’t capture in one take, and people were, of course, rushing to catch buses,” explained Rosengarten with a laugh.
The serendipity came in many ways: the real-life security guard (Mat Robar) who proved to have a terrific screen presence; a woman in a wheelchair who volunteered to lead an eye-opening interesting tour of the facility; an impromptu rapper; a man who spontaneously started talking to the camera about the old, unlovable bus station.
The 25-minute film was shot in about 24 hours spread over a little more than two days with the blessing and support of Halifax Transit, who are hosting the Alderney screening.
It includes original music by drummer/composer Benn Ross, as well as scene accompanied by Joel Plaskett’s upbeat and appropriate “Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’”.
“The public screening is going to include a short concert by Tanya Davis [fresh off her win for Best Atlantic Original Score award for Heartbeat at the 2014 Atlantic Film Festival] and a reception afterwards,” said Collins.
“We’re really pleased to be sharing this film with the people of Dartmouth.”
Free Public Screening + concert by Tanya Davis and Benn Ross.
Sunday, September 28th, 3pm, Alderney Landing Theatre
Followed by a reception.
Tanya Davis hearts transit