07/20/2025
If you missed your chance to see Nick van der Graaf's film The Backwoodsman at ReFrame earlier this year, he will be screening the film again this Thursday, July 24 at 3pm. The screening is presented in conjunction with Nine Ships and the Bicentennial of the Peter Robinson Irish Emigration to our region in 1825, and will be held at the community room inside the main branch of the Peterborough Public Library.
The Backwoodsman is a short film that tells the story behind the folk song "The Backwoodsman," a song about a young lumberman who abandons his job hauling wood to go out drinking and dancing, and explores its connections to working class people and the strong Irish community in the Peterborough area.
Featuring interviews and musical performances from folk musicians and historians, the film documents not only the cultural context and meaning behind the song, but also the local musicians working in our area today to keep folk music and folk traditions alive for generations to come.
The screening is free to attend and open to the public. We were proud to sponsor the film at ReFrame this year and strongly encourage you to go to the screening to see the film if you haven't already. It's an excellent exploration of working class culture and folk music traditions in our area!
