The Chatham-Kent Film Group (CKFG) will spotlight an often overlooked part of Canada's war history on Monday, September 15.
"We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes" will be shown at Galaxy Cinemas in Chatham at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The documentary was created by Historical Producer Bonnie Sitter and Director/Producer Colin Field, who will be in Chatham for a Q&A after the screenings.
The documentary tells the story of 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms during and after the Second World War, and helped sustain the nation's food supply when young men left to fight overseas.
Sitter wrote a book about the Farmerettes with Shirleyan English called "Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes." Field was inspired by Sitter's research and proposed a documentary.
"We wanted to capture the story of how the Farmerettes helped win the Second World War by volunteering to aid farmers with food production," says Sitter. "Most of these girls had never seen a farm. They came from all over Ontario as volunteers. They weren't conscripted. They chose to roll up their sleeves and do their part for Canada, and their efforts have largely been forgotten."
Field interviewed 20 Farmerettes, now in their 90's for the film.
"It has been a privilege to travel through the province and hear the stories of these surviving Farmerettes," Field said. "If it wasn't for these girls, the soldiers wouldn't have had food to eat and the economy would have ground to a halt."
Tickets for the September 15 screening are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Autographed copies of Sitter and English's book will also be for sale.
You can also learn more about the Farmerettes in this 2011 episode of the 519 Podcast:
