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Dresden 1957 documentary fundraising campaign hits goal

Dresden 1957 documentary fundraising campaign hits goal
ERIC PHILPOTT - Videographer Joe Crawford films a scene in an Aylmer cemetery for the documentary film Dresden 1957.

TORONTO — A 30-day crowdfunding campaign for a documentary film chronicling a cave-in on a construction job in Dresden, Ont. in 1957 has reached its fundraising goal.

The crowdfunding effort for the film project, titled Dresden 1957, concluded July 11, having raised 101 per cent of its goal of $78,000.

The filmmaker is Eric Philpott, the son of project engineer Keith Philpott, who witnessed the disaster. On Aug. 14, 1957 at 7 p.m., a soft section of clay collapsed during a concrete pour into an excavation, burying six workers, all of Dutch descent.

It was Ontario’s worst workplace tragedy but today the story is little known, said Philpott. The successful crowdfunding campaign will allow the filmmaking team to complete production in Canada this summer.

Over the course of the campaign 128 people from southwestern Ontario, across Canada, the U.S., the Netherlands and Germany contributed.

“One of the most gratifying things about this project is how new people keep coming forward to help,” said Philpott, who has writer and director credits on Dresden 1957.

“Crowdfunding has allowed us to grow the circle of supporters — people who have not only contributed financially, but who will follow the progress of the project through to completion.”

Read DCN coverage here.

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