By Steve Hubrecht
A Radium resident played host to Hollywood last week, with filming taking place in her townhouse.
The independent comedy-noir movie ‘All Night Wrong’ shot in Radium throughout November is not technically a Hollywood production. But it’s still a fairly large-scale film starring big-name actors (including one Oscar nominee). And Kayja Becker didn’t actually ‘host’ the movie per se or those making it, since she and her young family had to vacate their townhouse while the filming was occurring there.
But still, when ‘All Night Wrong’ finally comes out, Becker will stream the movie, sit back and see the very living room she’s sitting in — indeed the very same couch she’s sitting on — up there on the silver screen.
Dozens of Radium residents have been involved in ‘All Night Wrong’ in one capacity or another over the four weeks of filming in the village. Becker’s involvement came when movie location scouts decided her townhouse would make the perfect setting for several scenes.
“It all happened so quickly,” Becker told the Pioneer.
Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce business advisor Theresa Wood has been helping movie representatives sort out the filming. She knew they wanted to shoot a small part in a modern-looking townhouse. Wood and Becker are both Invermere councillors, and Wood knew Becker has a modern-looking townhouse. So Wood reached out, Becker sent back some photos of the exterior of her house, and the next thing Becker knew a crew of 15 people, including lighting specialists and set decorators were touring the inside of her home, while it was still festooned with Halloween decorations, to see if it met all of the possible requirements. It did.
“Then one month later they were filming here,” said Becker. “They were great to work with. They did it all in the course of one night and got all the scenes they needed.”
The filming happened on Thursday, Nov. 21. Becker, her husband Shane, their baby son Harrison and their dog had to be out of their home by 8 a.m. As soon as they left, crews arrived and began setting up. The actors arrived shortly after nightfall and filming began. Filming lasted literally all night, then cleaners came first thing the next morning and by noon Becker and family could return.
An interior photo of the house where a movie scene has been filmed.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
What scenes were filmed in Becker’s house? A murder? A party? Just a few bits of dialogue? Film representatives couldn’t give Becker too many details, but the few vague tidbits they did share are juicy enough.
“I’m told there’s an argument. That someone gets punched right there in my entryway. So there is some drama,” said Becker.
She was allowed to do a quick tour of her home after all the stage decorators had finished their work, but before the actors had arrived.
“It was amazing how much they changed it in just a few hours. They brought in a lot of stuff, a lot of new furniture. But they kept my couch. You’ll be able to see it in the movie,” said Becker.
It had snowed in Radium by that point, and the snow needed to be removed for filming, so teams of workers diligently shovelled Becker’s lawn before filming began. Her neighbours have gravel yards, and so crews used blow torches to melt away the snow there.
Becker had to sign a contract for use of her house, and she said the payment was “reasonably fair” for the hassle of having to pack up a baby, a dog and move over to a friend’s empty house for a day and a half.
“It’s been really interesting having a movie shot in Radium. People here have done a lot to help make it a success, and in the end I think it’s going to be a good thing for the village,” said Becker.
