A Barnardo Boy is an independent documentary film about the Home Child Movement in Canada between 1869 and 1930. The story will feature children who came as a ward of Dr. Thomas John Barnardo from Britain to Canada in 1930. RJ Huggins and Orphan Boys Films are currently in the research stage of project.
Still Images
These stills are from The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth footage. The filming took place on the Ottawa river in 2014.
Thank you to: The Ottawa School of Speech & Drama (OSSD) actors and friends that participated.
Video
The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth combines documentary filmmaking with docudrama to recall one of the largest cross-border celebrations of African-Canadian and African-American culture.
The story follows the extended family of Walter Perry, the creator of these emancipation celebrations, and explores the family’s historic legacy. Featuring recently sourced material combined with newsreel, family photographs and personal memoirs, the film chronicles the life of Perry, a newspaper boy turned Freedom Evangelist. The celebration drew Martin Luther King, Jesse Owens, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joe Louis, the Ink Spots, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and many more significant figures. The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth also features interviews with former prime minister and Windsor native, Paul Martin, and Martha Reeves of the Motown group Martha and the Vandellas.
Our documentary was shot in Ottawa, Montreal, Windsor Canada and Detroit, USA. It was produced in association with TVO, by R.J. Huggins of Orphan Boy Films in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Read MoreA Barnardo Boy – in preproduction
A Barnardo Boy is an independent documentary film about the Home Child Movement in Canada between 1869 and 1930. The story will feature children who came as a ward of Dr. Thomas John Barnardo from Britain to Canada in 1930. RJ Huggins and Orphan Boys Films are currently in the research stage of project.
The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth – documentary released in 2015
Black faith, community and music take centre stage in The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth, an independent documentary film about the emancipation celebrations organized by Walter Perry in Windsor, Ontario between 1936 and 1968.
The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth documentary uses never-before-seen audio and pictures found preserved in a basement in Windsor, and original content produced by Juno winner Anthony Seck. Footage includes a recent interview with singer Martha Reeves and never-seen-before pictures and audio of Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, the Ink Spots, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and more historical figures from the Black Community.
This independent film was produced by Orphan Boy Films, Keshet Productions Inc, and TVO.org with the support of these partners: the North American Black Historical Museum (Amherstburg, Ontario), the Northstar Cultural Community Centre (Windsor, Ontario), and Charles Wright Museum of African American History (Detroit, Michigan).
Sponsored by: The Windsor Star
Air Date: Aug 02, 2015
Length: 2:01:26
Available Until: Nov 30, 2018
Visit TVO.org to view this documentary film.
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The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth
Black faith, community and music take centre stage in The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth, an independent documentary film about the emancipation celebrations organized by Walter Perry in Windsor, Ontario between 1936 and 1968. The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth documentary is in production with never-before-seen audio and pictures found preserved in a basement in Windsor, and original content produced by JUNO winner Anthony Seck. Footage includes a recent interview with singer Martha Reeves and never-seen-before pictures and audio of Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, the Ink Spots, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and more historical figures from the Black Community. This independent film is in support of three organizations: the North American Black Historical Museum (Amherstburg, Ontario), the Northstar Cultural Community Centre (Windsor, Ontario), and Charles Wright Museum of African American History (Detroit, Michigan).
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Canada’s Home Children
In total 100,000 British children where sent to Canada between 1869-1930. They came from more than 20 British Child Programs. However, 30,000 or 30% of these children came from a Barnardo organization. When they arrived the children were placed in distribution homes or training farms. From there they were placed in Canadian homes to work.
Read MoreApril 28, 2016
The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth receives an Award of Merit Special Mention IMPACT Documentary Award on April 28, 2016. Congratulations team!
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