A film shoot is taking over the town of Vegreville, led by director and actor Troy Ruptash.
Ruptash was born and raised in the small town before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career in entertainment. This film highlights his hometown and his heritage.
"I've been an actor for 25 years I've never auditioned for a Ukrainian character let alone play one," Ruptash told CTV News Edmonton.
'They Who Surround Us' is inspired by Ruptash's great uncle. It's the story of an immigrant farmer in Vegreville in 1987, who fled Ukraine as an eight-year-old boy in 1943.
"Everyone comes from somewhere and for me one of things I wanted from this film is that I hope to give others what its given to me which is a deeper sense of who I am and when I come from and those who came before me," he said.
'They Who Surround Us' will hit the festival circuit in spring 2020 and will be in theatres in the fall.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Graham Neil
