In a powerful testament to the spirit of reconciliation, a newly released short documentary dives into the impact of Adrian Sutherland's moving song, Walk With Me. Filmed in Beachburg Public School for National Truth and Reconciliation Day, the short documentary captures how the essence of healing and resilience unites students, teachers, and community members.
Through reflective narratives and soul-stirring visuals, the documentary shows Beachburg Public School's efforts to commemorate National Truth and Reconciliation Day and meaningfully contribute to the process of reconciliation. The documentary not only highlights the emotional meaning of Sutherland's song, but also celebrates the collaborative efforts of the students and faculty of Beachburg Public School.
ABOUT THE VIDEO
Adrian's team received an email in early 2022 from Steve Pritchard, a teacher at Beachburg Public School in Ontario. Inspired by the themes of truth and reconciliation, the grade 6/7 and 7/8 students embarked on a mission to create a visual representation of their learning, incorporating elements from Sutherland's song into their project.
"Our hopes are to create a video around the song Walk With Me, involving both younger and older grades, that represents our new learning about truth and reconciliation. This project will involve tracing of hands and feet to be used to create a mural of a heart, and posters with statements reflecting the 94 calls to action..."
Adrian and his team loved the idea so much that they decided to help the student-driven project in a bigger way. They coordinated with the school, travelled to Beachburg with a videographer, and spent two days capturing footage of the students creating their project.
ABOUT THE SONG
“Walk With Me is about going on a journey together, and sharing the same path, even if you both come from different places. With reconciliation in the forefront, it’s more important now than ever before that we take time to walk with each other, and be willing to see the world through the eyes of another. This song also pays tribute to my grandparents, Moses and Juliette, and traditions of the past,” says Sutherland, who wrote the song in 2019 with Serena Ryder and released it on his JUNO-nominated debut solo album "When The Magic Hits" in 2021.
Walk With Me was expertly produced, mixed, and engineered by acclaimed producer, Colin Linden, who also played guitar on the track. The beautiful string arrangements were performed by multi-GRAMMY winner and one-man string quartet, Chris Carmichael. The track was mastered by João Carvalho Mastering.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to everyone at Beachburg Public School, with special thanks to Lily (Grade 8), Brooklyn (Grade 8), Mr. Schwan's Grade 7/8 Class, Ms. Bulmer's Grade 1 Class, Ms. Wardley & Ms. Senack's Kindergarten Class, Steve Pritchard (Lead Teacher), Sarah MacPhee (School Principal) and Susan Collins (Office Administrator).
Additionally, it acknowledges the support received from various organizations, including the Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, Ontario Arts Council, and the Radio Starmaker Fund.