Local filmmaker Cliff Caprani is ready to show his project about a young Ladner soldier to the public.
Countdown to Sanctuary Wood is a documentary that tells the story of Sidney Rich, who was killed in the First World War.
The film, which had a budget of $15,000, took about two-and-a-half years to finish, notes Caprani.
“I’m really pleased with it, I have to say,” he said.
He worked on the project with producer Kathy Cuthbert, Rich’s grand-niece.
“To us, it’s kind of his story, putting those puzzle pieces together for the family members. But it’s a universal story of every young man who went off to war. Why? Why were they so keen to go … It’s the story of Sidney from Ladner but across Canada that played out in many, many households,” she said.
Caprani, the film’s director, became interested in Rich’s story after seeing a plaque with his name on it on the wall of All Saints Anglican Church in Ladner.
He contacted Cuthbert, whose mom had saved some of the letters he wrote home. Cuthbert said the Delta Museum and Archives also had useful information and that Caprani would get leads and follow them, eventually leading to other leads.
Caprani likened the research to being “kind of like a detective story.”
They said fundraising was a challenging aspect of the project, which included going to Europe and hiring a historian to lead them on a tour.
Rich was killed during the second battle of Ypres on June 3, 1916. Rich was 22 when he signed up and 23 when he died, Caprani noted.
“The only son of a pioneer Ladner family, Rich was an early volunteer for the war effort and enlisted in the Motorcycle Scouts. His profession allowed him to qualify for the position of range finder, considered a dangerous one in the army,” the Optimist previously reported. “When his death was announced in the local paper, he was remembered for his kind and genial manners and as a friend of many.”
Countdown to Sanctuary Wood will be shown at All Saints Anglican Church, 4755 Arthur Dr., Ladner, on Saturday, June 17 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
