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ARTSCULTUREDOCUMENTARYTuesdayMarch3201521ByMEAGANWOHLBERGDecadesafterGiantMinestoppedproduc-inggoldtheabandonedstructureandthe237000tonnesofdeadlyarsenictrioxidethatremaintrappedbeneathitcontinuetocastashadowoverthecommunityofYellowknifeandsurroundingFirstNations.Nowasremediationcrewsattempttocleanupthetoxicareahopingtofreezethearsenicundergroundforatleastthenexthundredyearsoneteamoffilmmak-ersishopingtogetpeoplethinkingaboutthelegacyofthemineandwhatcouldpos-siblybecomeofthesitethathasimpactedsomanypeople.Ithinkthissiteisaremindergoingfor-wardasasocietydevelopingextractivein-dustriesinourownbackyardsorotherpeo-plesbackyardssaysdirectorClarkFergu-sonwhoselmShadowofaGiantlaunchesonlinethisweek.Itsareminderofwhatweshouldntdo.Theinteractiveweb-documentaryfeaturesinterviewswithacross-sectionofresidentseachinvitedtosharetheirperspectivesonhowthenow-defuncthotbedoftoxicarsenichasimpactedtheirlivesandcommunitiesovertheyearsaswellastheirreimaginingsforthesitethatisnowundergoingextensiveremediation.Viewersareabletoseethedreamsofpeo-plelikemineheritagespokespersonWaltHumphriesenvironmentalmonitorKevinOReillyformerchiefFredSangrisandErinFreeland-BallantynewhogrewupplayinginYellowknifesBackBaybehindthemineart-fullyanimatedoverthelmimagesbreath-ingcolourfulnewlifeintothedilapidatedstructures.Fergusonsaidtheideaforthereimagin-ingswasinspiredbyapreviousprojectwhereheaskedinner-cityresidentsofSaskatoontoimaginewhattheywoulddowithemptydowntownlots.WiththeGiantremediationtheresnotnecessarilyaplanforwhathappensnextwiththesitesowhynotaskthepeoplewhoweremostaffectedbyittotelluswhattheywanttoseehappenwithithesaid.DesignedincoordinationwithYellowknife-basedwebdeveloperSailingonSoundtheprojectoverlaysanimationwithvideoandonlinenavigationtoolslikemapsandfactboxesthatallowviewerstoexploretheareaaroundGiantMinelearningmoreaboutitshistorytheextentofthecontaminationandtheplansforremediation.ForthosefromtheNorthincludingoneswhovegrownuparoundGiantMinethelmgivesapersonaltouchtoafamiliarstoryil-lustratedbywell-knownlocalcharacters.ForthosewhoarejustlearningaboutGiantMineitservesasaprimertoacomplexsetofstoriesthecreationofacityfromagoldrushboomtownabitterstrikethatendedintragicmurderenougharsenictowipelifeofftheplanetandthe1-billionplantomakesurethatneverhappens.PartofitistoreflectonthelegacyofthesetypesofprojectsandwhattheymeantothecommunitytopeopleslivesandwhattheymeantotheNortherneconomyingeneralsaidproducerLesleyJohnson.Ithinkitsreallyimportanttoexaminehowwegothereinthefirstplaceandtothinkaboutwhetherthisisgiventheresultsomethingthatcouldhappeninthefutureandifsowhathavewedonetochangethosepos-sibleoutcomes.Puttingtogetherthecomplexonlinepieceposedatoughsetofchallengesfortheteamoverthepastyearbutthemanybenetsofferedbythewebformatmakeitworththeeffort.TherearealotofadvantagestohavinganinteractiveplatformJohnsonsaid.Shesaidtheonlineformateliminatessomeoftheproblemsofdistributionexperiencedbydocumentarylmmakersandallowsaccesstoawideraudience.Italsoprovidesanewinnovativewayofsharingandreceivingin-formationoutsidethetraditionaldocumen-taryformula.ItsaverydifferenttypeofstorytellingwhichlentitselfwelltothekindofstorysheandFergusonhopedtotellwithShadowofaGiant.Ratherthanbombardingview-erswithcomplextechnicalinformationthefootagefocusesonthepersonalwhilefactboxesallowviewerstoclickandreadattheirownpace.Ithinkwhatsreallyniceisthatwestruckagoodbalancebetweentellingverypersonalstoriesandinterestingsto-riesfromawideperspectiveofthecom-munitywithalotofthatheavyinforma-tionaboutGiantMinebecauseGiantisahugetopicJohnsonsaid.Alongwiththewebsitethefilmteamplanstoreleasea30-minutelmversionasacompaniontobescreenedatfestivalsandotherevents.JohnsonsaidshehopesthelmcanserveasaneducationalresourceandafoundationtobebuiltoffofasthestoryofGiantMineevolvesthroughtime.Theinterestingthingaboutitisthatitwillalwaysbetimelyshesaid.Thereme-diationprocessisalwaysgoingtobehap-peningandIthinkitsreallyimportanttounderstandthestakesandthegravityoftheissuethatitsnotevergoingtogoawayandthatsbecauseofthedecisionswemade.ShadowofaGiantgoesliveatshadowofa-giant.comonWednesdayMar.4.Interactiveweb-docrethinkspastfutureofGiantMineShadowofaGiantgoesliveonlinethisweekPhotocourtesyofLesleyJohnsonAnewinteractivedocumentaryonthelegacyofGiantMineShadowofaGiantlaunchesonlinethisweek.