Ron Harpelle

Banana Split takes the viewer on a journey that begins with the hustle and bustle of a fruit market in Thunder Bay, and ends up with an examination of the daily challenges of life in Honduras. In addition to being a popular fruit in Canada, bananas are used as a staple food in more than 100 tropical and sub-tropical countries.

Where the Poppies Grow is a short docu-drama about one soldier during the Great War. Alfred Saxberg was a first generation Finnish Canadian who signed up at the beginning of the war and was fortunate to return home in 1919. When the Great War ended In November 1918, the people of the Lakehead could take pride in the contributions they had made. Over 6,200 people enlisted either as volunteers or conscripts. At home, the community supported the war by raising money to assist soldiers’ wives, children, and other dependents. There were also campaigns to help finance the purchase of military equipment and to send personal items to the soldiers overseas. By the end of the conflict, approximately 300 people from the Lakehead were killed overseas or died of illness due to their war service. Thousands more were wounded in body and mind. Where the Poppies Grow is a docu-drama that looks at the sacrifices made by people from the Lakehead to secure victory in the war.

Pulp Friction is a documentary exploring the impact of the global pulp industry on communities in Canada, Finland, and Uruguay. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, it follows life in Terrace Bay, Ontario—saved by an Indian multinational; Kemijärvi, Finland—where the mill closure devastated the town; and Fray Bentos, Uruguay—where vast eucalyptus plantations feed a massive modern mill. Told in English, French, Finnish, and Spanish, the film reveals how globalization and industry link distant lives and reshape local economies, especially amid Canada’s ongoing mill closures.