Skip to content

‘Star in the Sky’: Award-winning Revelstoke filmmaker documents grief and healing in new film

Shea premiered her film at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival on March 2
32274683_web1_230406-RTR-LARA-SHEA-cover_1
Emily Grady embracing her two children, Micah and Isla. (Photo by Lara Shea)

This article was originally published in the Revelstoke TIMES Magazine, available now at your local coffee shop, book store, or any other business in downtown Revelstoke.

A mother’s love and strength, a child’s resilience and understanding, and the tragedy of loss: even in reading these words, one might be filled with a profound emotion from their own lives and experiences. For an artist or filmmaker, the process of portraying these deep emotions can be as fulfilling as it is daunting. Lara Shea, an award-winning Revelstoke-based filmmaker, is continuing her pursuit of documenting and exploring mental health issues within mountain communities, and telling the story of a family who has strong connections to all of those emotions, through her new film: ‘Star in the Sky’.

To describe the plot of the film in the simplest way possible, ‘Star in the Sky’ is about the life and tribulations of a Revelstoke family, Emily Grady and her two young children, who tragically lost their husband and father Scott to suicide eight years ago.

The overarching emotional theme of the film is best explained in the film’s title. Shea said that Grady and her children connect with Scott through the stars in the sky.

“It’s kind of instilled this resilience within them,” said Shea. “She’s done such an incredible job raising her kids on her own, and obviously facing huge adversity herself.”

Shea said she first heard of Grady’s story through a friend and was initially intrigued by Grady’s experience. As she got to know her more, she became even more touched by the story and decided she wanted to show it through film.

“It was so beautiful,” said Shea. “I love stories about mental health. I think that they’re important, and kind of what we all need.”

Shea met Grady while filming an unrelated video with the Canadian Avalanche Association about four years ago. While interviewing her, Shea noticed her breathing was hard to edit because of its irregularity. Curious, Shea asked her why that was, and Grady started to tell her story. After meeting with her again for another project, she decided to make the film.

Grady explained to Shea that she experienced grief like waves in the ocean. Immediately after Scott’s death, the waves were big and constant, and over the years have subsided somewhat. But even on the calmest days, the ocean isn’t without waves.

“The whole project was insanely hard,” said Shea. Much of the film is depicting Grady’s children, and Shea said that posed a whole new challenge for her from a filmmaker’s perspective. Instead of the hands-on directorial approach that she had used in the past, she let the family show their true nature by stepping back and capturing them in their real life.

For Shea filming, and even when viewing the film, watching the emotion in the family is incredibly difficult, and Shea added that she can’t even imagine what those feelings must have been like eight years ago.

For many children, death is an abstract concept. Using the symbolism of stars in the sky as a way for Grady’s children to tangibly connect with their father at a time when they may not have been able to understand the complexity of loss.

Shea added that the Grady kids have a mature understanding of grief now because of open communication and continued honesty.

Whether on purpose or not, the timing of the film’s release is quite relevant, especially in a mountain town like Revelstoke. Statistics on mental health are difficult to quantify, but March signifies a time of change for many in town who are finishing up another winter season and looking toward the next chapter, and a relief from the long, cold, dark days of February.

Shea said at first, Grady was reluctant to do the film, but wanted to share her story and the fact that if the film could help even one person who viewed it with their own experiences, either with grief or mental health, then it would be worth it.

Peaks and valleys

Aside from the feelings of grief, which people all over the world feel at least once in their lives, the story touches home with those in Revelstoke because of its connection to Scott’s occupation. Scott was a ski guide,

“It’s such a fascinating profession because it requires you to be turned on all the time, in the service industry, so you have to put on this proud face.,” said Shea. She went on to explain that in their profession, guides have an incredible weight on their shoulders, managing critical decisions and making calls on risk while servicing those who, oftentimes, are amongst the wealthiest people who visit the community.

Shea commented that it’s common for those in the guiding profession to face the struggle of high highs when out in their element and low lows when returning to ‘normal’ life. She added that through learning more about Grady and Scott she found that he, like many in the profession, felt these same emotions in a cyclical and ever-intensifying way.

In fact, a recent study which examined the lives and mental health of those working in the avalanche and guiding industry echoes these exact sentiments, and sheds light on a few other important issues.

The study was completed in 2019 by Lotus Mountain Consulting, Inc., a Canadian consulting firm that specializes in diversity, leadership, and mental health in mountain-based professions, on behalf of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, the Canadian Avalanche Association, and the Canadian Ski Guides Association.

The study compiled the results from 514 guides and avalanche workers across Canada who shared their experiences through a survey. It found that 57 per cent of people in the avalanche and guiding industry deal with mental health challenges in their professional roles, and that one of four visible minorities working in the industry have either attempted suicide or experienced suicidal thoughts.

The most frequently experienced mental health challenge amongst guides was reported to be physical or mental fatigue at 93 per cent. 61 per cent of guides said they faced challenges due to exposure to critical, or even fatal, incidents while at work, and 37 per cent said they have lost a colleague, family member, or friend to suicide.

The study also gave a look into themes of inequality and lack of diversity in the profession. Female guides were 6 per cent more likely to experience mental health issues, and alarmingly, 100 per cent of First Nations, Metis, and those who identified as transgender or two-spirited said they faced mental health challenges.

About a quarter of the females who finished the survey said they experienced sexual harassment while at work. In those instances of harassment, 40 per cent were initiated by a client or guest, and 60 per cent were initiated by coworkers or supervisors.

Nine incidents of sexual harassment were described during the completion of the study, initiated by someone they considered a supervisor, examiner, instructor, or mentor.

Those in the industry described a desire for change, including increased access to mental health supports, greater skills and capacity building, and re-structuring of the industry to prevent mental health crises.

Since the completion of the study, work has been done to continue the conversation and monitor change.

Lara Shea and the crew on set filming ‘Sixty Seconds. Shea alongside Ken Bibby, Jason Mannings, Zach Moxley and Nicholas Teichrob worked closely in the filming of the project. (Contributed by Lara Shea)
Lara Shea and the crew on set filming ‘Sixty Seconds. Shea alongside Ken Bibby, Jason Mannings, Zach Moxley and Nicholas Teichrob worked closely in the filming of the project. (Contributed by Lara Shea)

The filmmaker

In 2021, Shea premiered her film ‘Sixty Seconds’ in Revelstoke in front of a packed house at the Roxy, alongside the star and inspiration of the film, Tyler Turner.

‘Sixty Seconds’, Shea’s directorial debut, is a film about Turner, a bi-lateral amputee and professional athlete, and his recovery after surviving a skydiving accident in 2017.

Much like ‘A Star in the Sky’, her debut film was an incredibly emotional look into the most intimate portions of a person’s journey with healing and explored the nuanced themes of isolation, depression, and loss of identity.

“I’m always trying to access something real,” said Shea.

Shea debuted ‘Star in the Sky’ at Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival on Mar. 3, and is currently working on a few other projects, including her first feature film.

“As a filmmaker, I feel strongly that it’s important to have a connection to your subject matter,” Shea explained. “When I dive deeper into these types of stories, it helps me connect with humanity overall.”

“It’s connecting me to something more important.”

Shea hopes to do a screening of ‘Star in the Sky’ in Revelstoke this spring.

If you or anyone you know needs support for depression or suicide-related mental health issues, call the Canadian Assistance in Suicide Prevention 24/7 hotline at 1-833-456-4566.

READ MORE: ‘Those who ski together, stay together’: American couple re-enact mountaintop proposal near Nakusp

READ MORE: In Review: Exciting future for the Revelstoke Cricket Club


@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

and subscribe to our daily newsletter.