Interactive game presents “clever way” of discussing oilsands development

Eriel Deranger is excited after viewing the trailer to the National Film Board’s Fort McMoney.

“I’m curious,” she said. “It looks really well done, the cinematography looks great, the editing looks great. I want to hear the stories. I want to hear the dialogues and how all these little pieces come to fruition and come to life in the full documentary.”

Fort McMoney, created by independent journalist and documentarian David Dufresne, is billed as an “interactive documentary game” by the NFB, in partnership with TOXA, and explores the development of the oilsands and the impact on Fort McMurray and area.

The trailer includes a clip of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam. Adam, who is billed as “the Aboriginal leader” in the seconds-long portion, says, “They call it development. We call it destruction.”

Deranger, who serves as spokesperson for Adam, is heartened by the fact that Dufresne is looking at oilsands development beyond the major Wood Buffalo centre.

“I think it’s an important aspect that it’s not just Fort McMurray. The community of Fort Chipewyan is downstream and there’s other communities that are even further downstream that are starting to see the impact of the industry and it’s an important voice to include in what the impacts of Fort McMurray are really having up beyond the boundaries of the city, beyond the boundaries of the projects,” she said.

The documentary is the result of two years of research, 60 days of shooting and 50 interviews, according to a news release issued by the NFB.

“Fort McMoney allows users to immerse themselves in the town’s environmental, social, cultural, economic and political concerns. By meeting citizens and key players in Fort McMurray’s development, users can, among other things, participate in major debates leading to referendums whose outcome—determined collectively by the players—influence the direction of the game for everyone. Participants find themselves taking part in a striking interactive experience that brings to life complex and very real dilemmas,” explains the news release.

Deranger thinks this approach to educating about the development of the oilsands is both unique and “a really clever way of bringing out some dialogue and discourse around the issues around Fort McMurray.”

The three-minute trailer includes a news clip of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in London in 2006 stating the oilsands development is “an enterprise of epic proportions akin to building the pyramids or China’s great wall only bigger.”

Other people quoted in the trailer are Mayor Melissa Blake, Alberta Minister of Environment Diane McQueen, CEO of Total Petroleum, spokesperson for the petroleum industry, and the manager for the exotic dancers’ club. Only Harper is named.

“I think there was an interesting balance because the First Nations perspective comes from a different place, it comes from the impact directly on the land and the people. It’s not necessarily something that is felt by everyone, so it adds a human element from a different perspective,” said Deranger.

She notes she read an article recently that indicated people are more persuaded by the stories of others than scientific facts and data.

The game will launch Nov. 25 and last for four weeks. Participants will be able to interact with 43 people in that time.
Deranger won’t hazard a guess as to what participants will decide.

“I’m always surprised by people,” she said. “Social networking and the world of the Internet has changed my mind and views of what people would say or do very drastically.”

She says she has seen “something really great” not have an impact, while “things not so awesome have even more reach.”

The timing of the interactive documentary game is particularly fitting considering Alberta and Saskatchewan recently co-hosted the Northern Development Ministers Forum in Fort McMurray.
Energy for All was the theme of the forum and included a tour of the oilsands in the Wood Buffalo Region “in recognition of the important role that energy plays in Canada’s north,” said a government news release.

“This conference represented an excellent opportunity for Alberta and Saskatchewan to showcase to our colleagues from across Canada our strong record of ensuring local benefits from major development of our world class resources,” said Jim Reiter, Saskatchewan minister of government relations and minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs.

Photo caption: Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake, seeking re-election, is figured prominently in Fort McMoney, a new interactive documentary game that asks participants to weigh information and provide direction on oilsands development in the Fort McMurray area.