A blossoming actress with Prince Rupert roots recently starred in her first production “Telegraph Cove” a three-part web series.
Savonna Spracklin moved from the North Coast when she was 20-years-old to study acting at the Vancouver Film School, where she is currently a teaching assistant.
She paused before pursuing acting after she graduated in 2011. Then she met Darren Borrowman, the writer and director of “Telegraph Cove.”
He encouraged her to audition for the role and she got the main part as Anna, the co-owner and operator of a seasonal wildlife tour company. She goes in search for her husband who goes missing on a private end-of-the-season film charter.
“It’s an emotionally deep story for Anna and it was my first production so I put some pressure on myself,” Spracklin said.
They only had four days to film in Telegraph Cove on the northern tip of Vancouver Island during a torrential storm last October.
To prepare for her character, Spracklin studied nautical charts, got certified to pilot a small watercraft in open water and learned marine radio protocols.
“I don’t think I could have done this role without growing up in Prince Rupert. It’s a big part of who I am,” she said. “There were storytellers in my family on both sides.” She was also prepared for the stormy weather.
The Nisga’a woman still has family in Prince Rupert, and she often visits.
The story of the film has elements of mystery and suspense. Borrowman grew up in Telegraph Cove and his family started the first whale watching company in 1980 with a 20 metre long wooden-hulled boat, the M.V. Gikumi. When his father mentioned he was planning to sell the Gikumi, he pursued his dream to do a film with the boat before it was too late.
“The Gikumi has been in my family for my entire life and Telegraph Cove was where my passion for filmmaking began. They carry a lot of memories, so I wanted to include them both as a character in the story,” Borrowman said.
The three-part film was produced by Borrowtime Films, a Vancouver based company. This series was completely independent with no funding and it’s available on Vimeo. The last episode was released on Nov. 14.