Time & Color: A Meditation on Art and Legacy
An intimate portrait of an artist off-the-grid as he explores the legacy of a place forgotten by time.
How do you capture a place that feels like it’s being erased by time?
We followed expressionist-colourist artist Jean Claude Roy to Battle Harbour, a remote island community on the edge of the Atlantic, to document his process and his reflections on a life spent at the easel.
THE STORY
Battle Harbour was once the center of the codfish trade, but it has sat mostly quiet since the 1960s. Walking among the abandoned buildings and the vastness of the sea, Jean Claude explored his own legacy through thick layers of oil paint. Time & Color is a raw, intimate portrait of an artist working off-the-grid to preserve the essence of a place before it’s gone.
Production Reality
Filming in Battle Harbour wasn't just a creative challenge; it was a battle against the climate. We were working in a truly rural, isolated environment where the Atlantic weather is constant. We dealt with relentless cold fog and salt-heavy rain that threatened our gear every day. Keeping the cameras running and the lenses clear in those conditions required constant attention.
Our Creative Approach
To capture the raw energy of Jean Claude’s palette knife work without interrupting his flow, we utilized a fly-on-the-wall, cinéma vérité style of cinematography. We wove this modern footage together with archival images of the maritime industry to ground the artist’s work in the actual history of the island. The visual experience was further shaped by an original score from James Hurley, who blended Newfoundland folk music with French classical pieces to reflect the artist’s heritage. By pairing meditative shots of the island's unique architecture with these layered sounds, we were able to create an engrossing experience that feels as textural as the paint on Jean Claude's canvas.
Recognition & Impact:
National Broadcast: Licensed by Newfoundland TV (NTV).
Awards: Nominated for Best Documentary at the Vancouver Short Film Festival.
Screenings: Shown in private viewings across the US and Canada.
Sponsorship: By Harbour Gallery in Ontario.