Filmmaker says she 'left no stone unturned' in documentary about the Vancouver Grizzlies
Kathleen Jayme's The Grizzlie Truth coming to audiences across Canada this winter, Photon Films says
Kathleen Jayme was only six years old when the Vancouver Grizzlies was established, and she "absolutely fell in love with basketball because of them."
"They taught me how to dream big," Jayme told CBC News on Saturday ahead of a screening of her award-winning feature film The Grizzlie Truth.
"That feeling that they inspired me has stuck with me throughout all these years. When I was in film school, you know, at UBC [University of British Columbia], over a decade ago, this was like the film that I wanted to make in my career.
"It's taken a lot of hard work, such a team effort, I have so many people behind me supporting me, making this dream project come alive," she added.
On Nov. 29 Photon Films announced that The Grizzlie Truth will be coming to audiences across Canada this winter.
Saturday's screening — supported by Telefilm Canada — was held at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, as part of a national theatrical run.
Established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, following the 2000–2001 season and was renamed the Memphis Grizzlies.
For die-hard fans, the team's abrupt move to Memphis is much more than a sore spot: it's an unsolved mystery, and possibly a criminal conspiracy, according to Photon Films.
Jayme — a Vancouver-based Filipina-Canadian director — began an investigation into her hometown team's disappearance, that later became an exploration of the deep roots of fandom, and an irreverent exposé of the wild business of professional sports, Photon Films added.
Jayme says she spent the past decade dreaming about the film, and the past seven years making it.
"I've left no stone unturned to uncover The Grizzlie Truth," Jayme said, but wouldn't go into detail about what she uncovered.
The film features NBA stars including Antonio Harvey, George Lynch, Tony Massenburg, Steve Francis and more.
"I actually ambushed Steve Francis at an autograph signing. He didn't know I was coming," Jayme said.
But she only wanted "five seconds to run in front of him, pitch him, like, 'I'm making this film, I want to tell your side of the story, I want you to have a voice in the film,'" she said.
"And you know, thankfully Steve said, 'Yes' and he came up to Vancouver, he's now here in Toronto, so he's helping spread the word. He's helping spread The Grizzlie Truth, and I'm very grateful that he's been such a team player."
Francis says he "was definitely happy" he was able "to get some things across that people didn't really know" about him.
He commended Jayme for her work and getting "the right people together to tell the story of The Grizzlie Truth.
Francis hopes the presence of American players in Canada talking about basketball will also serve as an inspiration for children who love the game.
"A lot of times, you know, the Canadian kids don't really get a chance to see a lot of American basketball players besides if they go to a game," he said.
"So, to come back, I guess hopefully this is the beginning when we come back and just speak about the game of basketball, which is really taking Canada over by storm."
For the Grizzlies' first three years, the NBA restricted the team from the first five overall draft picks, and its salary cap was limited for the first two.
Jayme said the inaugural team was made entirely out of expansion players — basically, players other teams didn't want.
That was one apparent reason for their poor record in the league. After two wins in their first two games, the Grizzlies went on a 19-game losing streak. The second half of the season went even worse, with a run of 23 straight losses.
Over their six years in Vancouver, the Grizzlies won 101 games — and lost 359.
In the documentary Jayme talks with Stu Jackson, the team's general manager for its first five seasons, who she says took a lot of heat for the team's lack of success.
The Grizzlie Truth had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival to sold out audiences in October, received the VIFF Audience Award, and won Best Documentary at the Reel Asian Film Festival.
The national theatrical run of the film also includes confirmed dates in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Richmond and Langley.
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With files from Paul Smith and Courtney Dickson