‘Where the Cottonwoods Grow’ screening on May 11

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Vauxhall Advance

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Sunday, May 11, a screening of the documentary titled ‘Where the Cottonwoods Grow’ about the 1870’s Mennonite migration from Imperial Russia (Ukraine) to the West will be held at the Taber Auditorium beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Director and producer of ‘Where the Cottonwoods Grow’ Dale Hildebrand says that the film, written by Eleanor Chornoboy and himself and directed by himself and narrated by renowned actor Paul Gross (who is currently on Broadway playing opposite George Clooney), ‘follows the extraordinary 1874 migration of Mennonites from Imperial Russia (Ukraine) to the West, and is an epic journey of survival, resilience, and hope, as they face unthinkable trials, unforgiving nature, and the profound complexities of colonization.’

“We searched and researched archives from around the world to tell this story, delivering rare footage, images and journals to the screen,” said Hildebrand. “We also captured unique interviews from renowned historians, and recreated worlds that have long since been forgotten. Through the use of modern technology, we recreate worlds and landscapes that just don’t exist anymore – like the never-ending grassland of the Steppes of the Ukraine, the American Midwest and the Canadian Prairies. We even found the blueprints of the very first ship that carried the first boatload of Mennonites across the ocean, in a shipping yard in England. From those blueprints, we recreated the entire ship in computer generated imagery, as is sails across the Atlantic and is surrounded by icebergs. Another interesting factoid – most of the journals we sourced and used in this documentary, were written by men. However, after the movie “Women Talking” we didn’t want to turn this into “Men Mansplaining”. So we wove a unique piece throughout the documentary, which involves our main character (a woman) who walks across the frozen Canadian landscape and meets with a gathering of women in a traditional Mennonite house-barn to spend the day quilting and storytelling. Through this act, as the story is told, each patch of the quilt is symbolic of each chapter of the movie. So by the end of the film, the quilt has been made and the story has been told.”

Thus far, Hildebrand says, the film has been shown in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and Paraguay, while there are screenings yet to come in Germany and Switzerland and talks to screen the film in both Mexico and Belize.

“People have not only been very surprised at the quality, production value, story, rawness and heart we brought to the table, but also how we treated the subject matter, how we engaged with the concept of colonialism, and most importantly, how the film has engaged communities in ways no one could have imagined,” said Hildebrand. “Initially, the film was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1870s Mennonite migration to the west, but what has surprised us most is how the film has engaged audiences and connected communities in ways we never imagined.”

Hildebrand says that admission to the film is $20 per person, and people can only pay at the door as only rush seating is available, and DVD’s will be available for sale at the door for $20 each. Following the screening, Hildebrand says, there will be a Q&A session with the director Dale Hildebrand, and the co-writer.

“We are very much looking forward to the screening in Taber,” said Hildebrand. “For some reason, Sunday afternoons to screen this movie has been the perfect sweet spot for our audience. The rooms tend to fill up, people have great questions, and they truly seem to appreciate the film and how it touches the heart and engages their communities.”

For more information on ‘Where the Cottonwoods Grow’, Hildebrand invites people to visit the website: http://www.cottonwoodfilm.com/ or https://mmhs.org/cottonwoods/; view the trailer at https://vimeo.com/1042847594; or visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Where-the-Cottonwoods-Grow/61556325570400/?_rdr. 

Additional screenings, Hildebrand says, can be seen at Cardel Theatre (located at 180 Quarry Park Blvd.) in Calgary at 7 p.m. on Friday May 9, and at Coaldale Mennonite Church (located at 2316 17th Street) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.