Sudbury indie film aims to be a quintessential Canadian movie

For some reason, the world has always had a love affair with gold, from the Aztecs to the Incas to today. Whether it was holding it, wearing it or looking for it, people love gold (which is selling for more than US$4,000 per troy ounce).

Frank Racicot, a Sudbury-based geologist and prospector, has successfully written a script for a low-budget Indie film called The Golden Rule. Racicot has also made 33 short films, two of which won awards at Cinefest, Sudbury’s annual film festival.

The movie is about a prospector, Pete Rule, who has to acquire 400 mining claims for a junior mining company at a time when all that was needed was an axe and a compass. Now it is all done on a computer.

“In 1891, my great, great-grandfather John Cryderman staked the Garson mine east of Sudbury, the same way it is done in this film,” Racicot says.

In the movie, Pete reluctantly hires his estranged father, his sister, a local bully and two Quebec men stranded in Sudbury.

“The Golden Rule is a fun, outdoor adventure film set in Northern Ontario where there is a lot of potential conflict and drama going on,” Racicot explains. “Pete is in conflict with his dad, bad bush, bad weather, a rival, back-stabbing claim jumper and various truck problems.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have 40 years’ experience dealing with problems like these to draw from.”

Pete’s major conflict is with the new exploration manager, who reduces his daily claim-staking rate. “You know the Golden Rule,” the manager tells Pete. “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.”

Pete finds a major gold showing on the company’s claims but won’t tell the manager the location. “You know the Golden Rule,” Pete tells the manager. “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.”

This movie has a lot of subtle humour and examples of creative McGyver skills, such as when Pete uses his chainsaw to boost a dead truck battery. He later uses the chainsaw to pull a truck out of a mud hole. Because two Québécois men are involved, some French will be spoken. Think “Bon Cop Bad Cop meets Crocodile Dundee.”

In some ways, this film is a love letter to Quebec. A sequence of events in this film attempts to heal the rift between the French and English that has existed since the battle on the Plains of Abraham in 1759. There are two fun rom/com elements in the movie, including an “inter-provincial romance.” Both without an “R” rating.

With the assistance of Mathieu Seguin, an experienced local cinematographer, Racicot says he hopes to start filming on Aug. 13 for 12 days in and around Sudbury and on 640 acres of bush on private land east of Sudbury. That is, if he can get enough local sponsorship and support from individuals or companies, so he can feed, transport, and pay his actors and camera crew, as well as his volunteers.

“It would really help if someone had a big tent, generator, a small truck or a white van or was able to volunteer for a few days. No experience is necessary. This is an opportunity to be involved on a film set and get some ‘reel’ experience. It is also an opportunity for Sudburians to help support a local, creative venture.

According to Matt Seguin, “Imagine how awesome an actor would feel if they had some sort of trailer or RV to sleep in for two weeks instead of a tent.”

As a geologist, Racicot said he is used to ‘tenting it’. Since this is a low-budget indie film, Racicot says he can’t afford to have the actors or crew stay in motels or pay the actors top dollar.

“I don’t want them working for nothing, next to nothing maybe but not nothing,” jokes Racicot.

With quotes from Pierre Burton, William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Peter Gzowski (a former CBC radio host), this could be the quintessential Canadian film of the decade. At its core, there is only one Golden Rule. Do unto others as you have them do unto you. You can contribute through a GoFundMe account at gofund.me/650d72a5d.

Or call him. He’s in the phone book.

Racicot said The Golden Rule is a film that hopes to help one Canadian and inspire and unite the rest.

Bluesky: @sudburystar.bsky.social