The winners of the Underhill award for best documentary in HIST 4302.
(from left) Astara van der Jagt, Sandrine Murray, Kyleigh Gault, and Jordan Gray
Described by David Dean as “a highlight of the academic year and one of the best things that happens in the History Department,” the ninth annual screening of narrative historical documentaries, produced by students of HIST 4302: Making Documentary History with Michael Ostroff, took place on April 2, 2019 before a near capacity crowd, including the outgoing chair of the Department, Professor Dominique Marshall, the incoming chair of the Department, Professor James Miller, and several other departmental colleagues.
The screening is a juried event. Professors David Dean, Janne Cleveland (Drama) and James Wright (Music) were charged with selecting the winning documentary. “It was honestly difficult to decide,” remarked Janne Cleveland, given the overall quality of the documentaries. David Dean said that the extended length of time the jurors required to come to a unanimous consensus “is a tribute to the films that stood out…”
In the end, he explained, “it came down to some fine comparisons and critiques to decide on one.”
Undergraduate Supervisor, Professor Michel Hogue, presented the Underhill Award for the best documentary this year to Sandrine Murray (Journalism), Jordan Gray (Global and Transnational History), Kyleigh Gault (History), and Astara van der Jagt (Journalism) for their documentary “A National Crime”, which explored the efforts of Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce to publicize and put a stop to the horrific conditions he encountered in the Residential Schools in Western Canada, more than a century ago.