Fiction film about a documentary: ‘Alberta Number One’

Alberta’s wide-open landscapes take centre stage in Alexander (Sandy) Carson’s “fiction film about a documentary,” Alberta Number One. The film invites viewers on a journey told by an eccentric crew as they conduct an autoethnographic study of the museum landscape in Alberta. Part comedy, part Western, and part introspective, Carson’s film layers emotional subtext with wit and museum history. 

The film’s concept came from Carson’s time living in Alberta when in 2016. He began to notice the abundance of niche museums and attractions in small town areas. Think of museums about miniatures, gopher holes, and countless museums about very small towns in the 1930s. If that doesn’t captivate you, Alberta also has dozens of weird attractions such as the world’s largest sausage, perogy, and Easter egg. Homages to food are taken very seriously in Alberta.

As entertaining as a giant sausage is, Carson’s film explores more than just the weird oddities people stop by small towns to take a picture with. 

“Fundamentally, it’s about the signifying power of museums and public sites,” Carson explained. “It’s about people investigating the politics of those sites while undergoing a pretty intense period of self-reflection.”

Alberta Number One takes a collaborative approach to creating complex and interesting characters

Armed with the power of cameras, microphones, and Alberta highways, Carson’s characters navigate both external and internal landscapes in their trek through Alberta, blending all the charm of a road trip vlog with cultural introspection and diverse struggles. Ultimately, Carson set out to explore how museums and small-scale attractions perpetuate certain narratives and stereotypes.

The hybrid approach to this film brought together seven accomplished Canadian artists, all of whom, according to Carson, were vital to the creative process. Each one participated in creating a film that shone a light on a multitude of identities and viewpoints. As a privileged man himself, Carson emphasized the importance of this collaborative diversity. 

“I realized that I needed more diverse voices in the mix to complexify and enrich the perspectives being offered — not just a relatively privileged white guy from Ontario.”

Carson, a founding member of Calgary-based North Country Cinema, spoke about his fascination with personal storytelling and the collective experience. He has showcased films at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the San Francisco International Film Festival, and numerous other international festivals. Alberta Number One premiered in 2024 at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal.

Carson encourages viewers to bring their own perspectives and experiences to a screening

Carson explained that he wants viewers to come in with an open mind and to bring their own experiences to the film. 

“The movie meets you halfway, you supply your own perspective, sense of humour, and life story. That alchemy between what the film offers and what the audience brings is where the magic happens,” Carson said.

Through its inventive blend of fiction, documentary, comedy, and drama, Carson’s film offers both a love letter and a critique of Alberta’s cultural landscape. It challenges viewers to consider who gets to tell the stories of our public spaces, and how those stories shape our collective identity.