Innovator Grady Auvil the apple of new documentary's eye
Innovator Grady Auvil the apple of new documentary's eye
Filmmakers Jamie Howell and Guy Evans are finding the Wenatchee, WA, area to be fertile ground for their upcoming documentary.
"Gee Whiz: the Story of Grady Auvil" will chronicle the legendary Washington orchardist and the unique ways in which he "forever changed the tree fruit industry."
Mr. Auvil, founder of Auvil Fruit Co., died in 1998 at the age of 93, but he passed along his sense of innovation and commitment to his descendants, who still operate the business.
It was he who introduced the Granny Smith apple to the Wenatchee Valley in 1972, and the variety remains one of the more popular today, marketed by Auvil Fruit under the "Gee Whiz" label.
According to Mr. Howell, who himself is a Wenatchee native, "The project offers a chance to explore and honor the legacy of Grady Auvil, to preserve an important piece of Northwest history, and to present that story and the lessons it contains to a much broader audience."
Although Mr. Howell grew up in the Wenatchee Valley, he said that during his younger years, "produce really wasn't on my radar. I didn't know an important person had grown up in the same community."
However, the produce industry became part of his film- making repertoire, and Messrs. Howell and Evans collaborated on the documentary, "Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture and the New American Farmer."
That project was released in October 2004 and focused on the plight of growers forced out of business in the Wenatchee Valley. The film also deals with themes of sustainable agriculture.
Fundraising for the ambitious Auvil project, which is being created as a co-venture with the nonprofit Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, began earlier this year, and Mr. Howell said that the color documentary will initially be released regionally and/or nationally on the Public Broadcasting System. Ultimately "Gee Whiz" will be available on DVD to schools, museums and individuals, he said.
Mr. Howell said that the idea of honoring the late Mr. Auvil came about two years ago, when he had just completed the "100 Year Retrospective on HORT."
During the 2004 release of the retrospective, he began to envision a film honoring Mr. Auvil.
"In leaving his mark on the world, Grady Auvil lavished generosity on the community he called home and nurtured a philosophy of life all his own," Mr. Howell said. He said the film will deal with one core issue and explore its ramifications: "What made Grady tick?"
"Grady shaped the direction of the valley. He had so many quirks and bits of genius," Mr. Howell said.
Whether it was quirk or genius, Mr. Auvil was so consumed with efficiency that he learned to tie his boot laces with one hand. He was also well known to local law enforcement officials who stopped him frequently for speeding. In his profession, "He was a real hands-on guy," Mr. Howell said. "The process of making a documentary is a process of discovery."
The filmmaker learned that Mr. Auvil cared about the people of the region, and "& when you walk around the Wenatchee Valley, everyone has a story [about the orchardist]."
A firm believer in education, Mr. Auvil financially supported area youth, Mr. Howell said.
In structuring the documentary, he said that he and Mr. Evans will bring in a variety of local artists, students from Wenatchee Valley College and north-central Washington musicians to participate in the project.
"A primary focus of this project is to strengthen the bonds of community by involving its members directly in the creation of a documentary about their own past," Mr. Howell said.
Shooting is expected to begin this summer, and Mr. Howell said that he hopes to unveil the documentary at the December 2006 Washington State Horticultural Association conference. Updates on the project can be found at www.auvildoc.org.
"Gee Whiz: the Story of Grady Auvil" will chronicle the legendary Washington orchardist and the unique ways in which he "forever changed the tree fruit industry."
Mr. Auvil, founder of Auvil Fruit Co., died in 1998 at the age of 93, but he passed along his sense of innovation and commitment to his descendants, who still operate the business.
It was he who introduced the Granny Smith apple to the Wenatchee Valley in 1972, and the variety remains one of the more popular today, marketed by Auvil Fruit under the "Gee Whiz" label.
According to Mr. Howell, who himself is a Wenatchee native, "The project offers a chance to explore and honor the legacy of Grady Auvil, to preserve an important piece of Northwest history, and to present that story and the lessons it contains to a much broader audience."
Although Mr. Howell grew up in the Wenatchee Valley, he said that during his younger years, "produce really wasn't on my radar. I didn't know an important person had grown up in the same community."
However, the produce industry became part of his film- making repertoire, and Messrs. Howell and Evans collaborated on the documentary, "Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture and the New American Farmer."
That project was released in October 2004 and focused on the plight of growers forced out of business in the Wenatchee Valley. The film also deals with themes of sustainable agriculture.
Fundraising for the ambitious Auvil project, which is being created as a co-venture with the nonprofit Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, began earlier this year, and Mr. Howell said that the color documentary will initially be released regionally and/or nationally on the Public Broadcasting System. Ultimately "Gee Whiz" will be available on DVD to schools, museums and individuals, he said.
Mr. Howell said that the idea of honoring the late Mr. Auvil came about two years ago, when he had just completed the "100 Year Retrospective on HORT."
During the 2004 release of the retrospective, he began to envision a film honoring Mr. Auvil.
"In leaving his mark on the world, Grady Auvil lavished generosity on the community he called home and nurtured a philosophy of life all his own," Mr. Howell said. He said the film will deal with one core issue and explore its ramifications: "What made Grady tick?"
"Grady shaped the direction of the valley. He had so many quirks and bits of genius," Mr. Howell said.
Whether it was quirk or genius, Mr. Auvil was so consumed with efficiency that he learned to tie his boot laces with one hand. He was also well known to local law enforcement officials who stopped him frequently for speeding. In his profession, "He was a real hands-on guy," Mr. Howell said. "The process of making a documentary is a process of discovery."
The filmmaker learned that Mr. Auvil cared about the people of the region, and "& when you walk around the Wenatchee Valley, everyone has a story [about the orchardist]."
A firm believer in education, Mr. Auvil financially supported area youth, Mr. Howell said.
In structuring the documentary, he said that he and Mr. Evans will bring in a variety of local artists, students from Wenatchee Valley College and north-central Washington musicians to participate in the project.
"A primary focus of this project is to strengthen the bonds of community by involving its members directly in the creation of a documentary about their own past," Mr. Howell said.
Shooting is expected to begin this summer, and Mr. Howell said that he hopes to unveil the documentary at the December 2006 Washington State Horticultural Association conference. Updates on the project can be found at www.auvildoc.org.
