On April 22, CBU Chaplaincy and the Newman Society will host documentary filmmaker Kevin Moynihan to discuss that very question.
And Mr. Moynihan has a rich perspective to share.
Kevin Moynihan is a documentary filmmaker based in Halifax, and for decades has told stories through a variety of lenses – technical and cultural – for students and clients. For the past decade, he has devoted his work to his own passions for history, ecology, and social justice. In 2015, he released Laudato Si’: A Canadian Response which became a unique and valuable examination of Pope Francis’ ground-breaking encyclical with stories of Canadian religious and laity, coast to coast. The film remains a popular choice on YouTube and in workshops. A tenth Anniversary edition is currently in the works, planned for release on or near the 10th anniversary of the release of Laudato Si’ on May 24.
Kevin Moynihan’s YouTube Channel
Documentary filmmaking, defined as a ‘dramatic reenactment of history for the purpose of social change’, is among the most powerful tools to reach an audience. A skilled combination of message, facts, characters, audio and visuals can bypass the intellect and dive straight into the heart of a story, and the heart of its viewers … not an easy task in today’s world of information overload and life on screen. However, as Kevin Moynihan has demonstrated throughout his decades of film production, for those who are passionate about a story and a better world, there remains an appetite for the information and the invitation documentary films can provide.
A fan of documentary films since his teens, Kevin first considered production as a high school teacher in 1960s Montreal seeking classroom resources. “There wasn’t much available with a Canadian perspective,” he recalled. “I discovered the National Film Board, and when I exhausted their catalog, started thinking about what I could produce myself.”
At that time, films were often a series of still slides organized and committed to film with a soundtrack of music and narrative produced on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. As his passion and skill level grew, technology evolved as well to enable small crews (and budgets) to do more complex projects. ‘Day jobs’ that fed his family and his passion led him Montreal, Toronto, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax, working for dioceses, schools, and government agencies, using his filmmaking skills for instructional videos and promotional shorts at work, and creating his own films as time permitted. When the time was right to pursue his passion full time, he secured benefactors to fund his projects, including a series of Laudato Si’ films and ‘The Famine Irish” which details the history of the Irish migration to Canada in 1847 and the service of women religious to those immigrants in need of hospitalization and care. He has also produced ‘Catholics and Co-ops’, the story of the co-operative movement in the Diocese of Antigonish and other regions around the world. It was in the making of this film that he discovered what he considers a rare treasure: a 1939 silent documentary film featuring footage of Reverends Moses Coady and Jimmy Tompkins in various conversations with people in classrooms and in living rooms as they spread word of their idea for community-led initiatives and sustainability. “I found it in the St. Francis Xavier University archives,” he said, “and I’m excited to be sharing it when I come to Sydney … I’ll bet the people in this 1939 film are grandparents and relatives of people living on the island today.”
The older film was not in use at the time he discovered it; with its lack of colour and sound, it wasn’t seen as a tool compared to today’s high-definition productions. But as the older film demonstrates, the power is in the people and their stories captured in a moment of time, sharing a message that remains timeless and beckoning for us to listen, to absorb, and to open to change. “Technology is always the servant of the story,” he said. Modern tech enables him to do high-definition work in his own studio. It still takes a village to make an impactful film, including professional narrators, access to images and music, and a team that collaborates well. Kevin’s partner in production is his partner in life, his wife Anne, who offers sound advice – literally and figuratively. “Music is so very important to the impact of a film,” he says. “I spend a considerable amount of time listening to music and selecting options for various scenes. I’ll pick one, then ask Anne … sometimes she agrees with me, and when she doesn’t, I change it.”
Intuition and vision have enabled Kevin Moynihan to create films with our unique local and national perspectives, that continue to speak to whoever will take the time to watch. It is not an easy occupation: money is a constant need and concern, and the time involved is incessant. The reward, however, is inspiring and the impact … priceless and ongoing.
All are invited to hear Kevin Moynihan in person as a guest of the Fr. Greg MacLeod Lecture Series. Kevin’s talk begins at 6:30 pm, in the Yvonne LeVert Hospitality Suite (Multipurpose Room) at Cape Breton University.
For more information, contact CBU Chaplain Fr Doug MacDonald, doug_macdonald@cbu.ca
