Amanda Dawn Christie launching documentary about demise of RCI towers

Moncton artist Amanda Dawn Christie says after six years, her documentarySpectres of Shortwave,about the demiseof the Radio-Canada International towers in Sackville, is nearly complete.

"A project like this is very hard," Christie said in an interview on Information Morning Moncton. "When I went into this project they weren't supposed to be tearing the towers down."

After budget cuts in 2012, CBC announced the shortwave service would end after 67 years of broadcasting around the world.

Christie calls that decision a loss for the international community.

"Shortwave communication is something that will always get through. Even though technology advances and peoplerely on theinternetnot everyone can afford a computer or digital receiverCanada was known for more objective, non-biased broadcasting."

Film project challenging

Initially, the CBC tried to sell the towers and the land, but when a buyer couldn't be found, the towers were demolishedin March of 2014.

• RCItowers nearSackvillecoming down
• N.B. Radio-Canada towers to be featured in film

Christie says one of the biggest challenges of producing the two-hour documentary has beenworking alone for manyof the 46days of filming, including the days when the towers came down.

She says it was tough, but she will remember what if felt like to gain the respect of the demolition crew at the site.

"I think in the beginning they didn't know what to make of mebut after two months of seeing me everyday with a 50-pound camera going out in the snow 12 hours a day, working just as hard as they were, it was nice to see that work acknowledged."

Christie says the other challenge has been shaping thosehours of footage and interviews into a feature lengthdocumentary with a"micro-budget."

"The average onehour TVdocumentary in Canadacosts about $400,000 to produce and right now my film is sitting atclose to two hoursand I'm working on a budget less than $100,000," she said.

Christie is hoping her film will be accepted and shown at Toronto's international documentary festivalHot Docs in April.

She says funding from Hot Docs has helped her to complete the project,as did a visit to New Yorkwhere she showed her film as a work-in-progressto an audience unfamiliar with the towers.

"The response was really positive in New York and that really gave me the motivation to go, 'Okay, I'm on the right track, now let's finish this.'"