Stubblejumpers is a 48 minutes film about Doug Wilson, as social activist who got his start in Saskatchewan after launching a human rights complaint against the University of Saskatchewan (U of S)in 1975 for being fired from his teacher’s assistant position for being gay. It is apparent to me that Doug Wilson is a man who brought about a great deal of social awareness and change, representing hope to many people and inspiring even more. In a year where Harvey Milk has dominated the headlines, it is easy to forget that he was not alone, which is why I felt that this film was so important.
The film is a “docu-drama”, mixing personal interviews with people who knew Doug directly as well as interludes of action as protrayed by actors. The film begins with Doug’s childhood and follows him through to one fateful day when he placed an ad in the U of S student newspaper in hopes of starting a gay association on campus. Sadly, using his campus mailbox as a way to get in touch with him was the thing that brought him to the administartion’s attention. He was fired from his job almost immediately. Doug then launched a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, but lost, because at the time it was perfectly okay to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation.
After his complaint was denied by the SHRC, he began a life of activism, creating the Sastechewan Gay Coalition and a number of publications, most notably Pink Ink and Rites. His work soon takes him to Toronto where he continued activism in all arenas. He would create campaigns for apartheid just as soon as for AIDS support and research. He once said that he didn’t want to be known as a “one issue person”. In 1988 Doug Wilson became the first openly gay political candidate in Canada, running in the Rosedale riding in Toronto for the NDP (New Democratic Party). During this time he became quite ill and was diagnosed with AIDS a short time later. Doug passed away from this illness in 1992 and will long be remembered for his courage, his work and his writing.
I felt that this docudrama did an excellent job of showing me just a little bit of who Doug was, but only through the eyes of his friends. I think that the dramatic interludes were intended to help me connect better to Doug Wilson the person, rather than to hear the disembodied stories of those who loved and admired him. Unfortunately, while the interviews did do an excellent job of helping to paint a picture of who he was, I actually have no sense of him from this film. Certainly, it does its job very well in terms of giving me the facts of his life, but I didn’t get a chance to know any of the people speaking about him very well and, as a result, I didn’t get to know him.
The director David Geiss was there to answer questions and he indicated that he felt badly that he had not been able to show as much of Doug’s work and life in Toronto as he had wanted to, but he had received his broadcast license shortly after wrapping shooting on the Sasketchewan portion of the film and he had been quite restrained by the 48 minute timeline. I agree that more time would hav helped to solidify the film a little more, however, I still think that regardless of whether or not I was able to connect to Doug Wilson from this film, it has ceratinly done its job – I am aware of Doug Wilson, I respect the work he did, I am glad that he forged some paths and I am glad that people will follow. Mostly, I am glad that I want to know more about him. I would urge Mr. Geiss to finish the filming on the other half of this documentary and to release it on its own. Given that the theatre was filled with people who knew, loved and respected him (including current NDP leader Jack Layton and his wife Olivia Chow), I think that it would not only be a fitting tribute, but would reach even more people who might be in need of someone like Doug Wilson, even if he’s not here.
