Sep 20, 2019

Clay, Creativity & the Comeback: Documentary

Shooting and editing a feature length documentary in a matter of months is no small task - particularly when the story you're setting out to tell is one that hasn't really been documented before. This entire filmmaking experience was exhilarating, exhausting, eye-opening, and consuming - and the result was Clay, Creativity & the Comeback.

Clay Creativity and the Comeback Editing Luke


Clay, Creativity & the Comeback tells the story of how the industrial ruins and abandoned factories of Medicine Hat, Alberta's once booming clay industry were saved from demolition and became the inspiration for a renewed cultural landmark and National Historic Site of Canada. 

Medalta Potteries (one of several pottery factories in the area) was where it all began. The idea behind saving this crumbling structure was a grand vision kickstarted by James Marshall and Jack Forbes in the 1970s. It was a dream fraught with obstacles that would take decades, countless volunteers, and an incredible amount of gumption to achieve. 

Editing Luke Medalta Documentary


This original documentary - Clay, Creativity & the Comeback - was made possible by the financial support of TELUS, by the amazing individuals who shared their first hand experiences, and through the cooperation of the Friends of Medalta Society and Medalta in the Historic Clay District (and their incredible team who rallied behind this idea). 

Written, Produced, and Directed by Luke Fandrich.
An Editing Luke Production. Copyright 2019.

More about the behind the scenes production of this documentary here.


Luke Fandrich Filmmaker Documentary






Sep 19, 2019

Documentary Premiere at Medalta Potteries

Last night was a surreal experience. Thank you to everyone who came out to see the premiere of my documentary Clay, Creativity & the Comeback at Medalta. We seriously underestimated just how many people would show up - which was a great problem to have.

Editing Luke Medalta Documentary
To be in this old factory, surrounded by many of the people who stepped up to save it, while watching a film I'd worked on for months inside what is now a National Historic Site of Canada - it was an experience I won't soon forget.

I've been truly humbled by the reactions and messages regarding the documentary and am so grateful to everyone who made it possible. Thank you for the incredible night!

Clay, Creativity & the Comeback will be released on the Editing Luke website tomorrow, September 20 for those who missed it.