In Memoriam: Ches Yetman (1943-2018)

The National Film Board of Canada is a 78-year-old institution that is respected and revered around the world. But it is nothing without the people who work there.

We lost one of those people yesterday, former Executive Producer of the Prairie Production Centre (currently known as the North West Studio), Ches Yetman. Ches started his career with the Film Board as a distribution officer in the Maritimes in 1965, and over the years held several different positions in different offices across the country. In Montreal, he worked closely with some of the giants like Brittain and Daly, before heading out to Winnipeg to settle there.

At first, Yetman was in charge of promotion for the Board, and it’s thanks to his initiative that the NFB logo and films started appearing on mugs, bags, postcards and pens. The man understood merchandising. It was under his watch that the NFB Boutique was born. But in 1985, when Michael Scott left his position of Executive Producer from that studio, it was Yetman who stepped into the role. Despite having zero producing experience, he dove right into the world of animation – with one of his first projects being Cordell Barker’s The Cat Came Back.

As Executive Producer of the studio, Yetman also had documentary films on his slate. As such, he worked on projects like Fat Chance, The Defender, and Tommy Douglas: Keeper of the Flame. He was the kind of man people enjoyed working with. He loved what he did, and it showed in his work.

It’s not uncommon for us to watch and enjoy films with little notion of who’s behind them. So in an effort to change that, and honour Ches’ memory, we’ve put together a small selection of films that he produced.

The Cat Came Back

The film is a masterpiece. It’s one of the gems in our collection that just keeps going and going. And this past year, the film had new life breathed into it with the release of the accompanying picture book. Now consider that the movie was produced near the beginning of Ches’ career. Pretty remarkable, no?

oehttps://http://ift.tt/1V3AKac

The Defender

This film was a 6-year production that began in 1982, with the film being released in 1988. The entire project was sparked by an article director Stephen Low in the paper about a man who was trying to build a fighter jet to sell to the army. Sounds crazy, which is probably why it caught his eye. And what a good eye that was, because what resulted is one of those films you just have to see to believe.

oehttps://http://ift.tt/1mx1lxO

The Apprentice

Returning to his roots in animation, Yetman produced this bizarre little film from Richard Condie, a man known for his bizarre little films. What luck Yetman had to be in Winnipeg, a veritable hotbed of talented animators. This short follows the story of a young fool who meets an old fool at a crossroads and learns the consequences of taking the wrong path.

oehttps://http://ift.tt/2E3Mhky

Places Not Our Own

This was the first film Yetman executive produced and it was part of series that depicted how Canada’s West was gradually taken over by the railroads and new settlers, forcing out the Metis population and sentencing them to a harsh life as a forgotten people. This is the story of Rose, a woman seeking to provide for her family, despite the odds.

oehttps://http://ift.tt/2EK0S62

The Crown Prince

One of the things the Film Board is known for is the ways in which its films have helped Canadians, and people around the world, get a better understanding of the issues. This film is no exception. In fact, after my daughter was born I had a bit of a rough time, and the doctor I saw, upon learning that I worked for the NFB, said, “Can you get me a copy of The Crown Prince? I use it with all my abuse patients, and I’ve worn my copy out.” This is a short film that tackles some really complex issues, and the fact that it’s still relevant so many years later only serves to show what an outstanding job they did with the material.

oehttps://http://ift.tt/2E3Mggu

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