While Powell River’s Glen Roscovich awaits answers about his daughter Twyla Roscovich’s death, he and members of Powell River’s filmmaking community remembered her passion for making documentaries and her social and environmental activism.
Twyla's body was discovered on September 15 in Campbell River. She had been missing since September 8.
“I'm shattered by the whole thing,” said Glen. “There's a tsunami of responses and condolences. I'm immersing myself in fielding those and replying, and reminiscing.”
Glen said he remembers how Twyla was first introduced to film when he enrolled her in a week-long course at Gulf Islands Film and Television School on Galiano Island, and later secured her a spot in the school's film and television program.
“I recognized her storytelling ability,” he said. “I always encouraged her to write me a little story about whatever incident and adventure. She showed such promise I thought she needed to get exposed to another medium.”
According to Glen, he likely would not have convinced Twyla, who was initially resistant, to attend the school if not for enlisting the help of her grandmother, noted Powell River environmental trailblazer Ruby Roscovich, who turned 100 years old in 2016.
Powell River activist and filmmaker Jeremy Williams worked with Twyla when she narrated his documentary Our Living Legacy that played at Powell River Film Festival in 2009.
“She was excellent to work with,” said Williams. “As a filmmaker, I would say she was really sure on her facts. She was sure to do her homework, investigate and get really into the details. She wasn't just slapping things together; she did things with integrity.”
Twyla’s integrity and attention to investigative detail was notable in Salmon Confidential, an exposé of fish farms and wild salmon that she made alongside noted BC environmental activist Alexandra Morton. The movie won the Most Popular Canadian Environmental Documentary Award at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival.
“It was an excellent investigative piece based on exposing the dangers of the fish farms and the lack of oversight and lack of listening to scientific research around what the impacts are,” said Powell River filmmaker Claudia Medina. “It was a film that broke it open in a clear, well researched and scientific way. It was a risky film to make.”
Williams said Twyla’s loss leaves a huge whole in his heart and that of the environmental documentary community.
“It's not easy doing environmental films,” said Williams. “It's exhausting to be doing that type of work and one of the saving graces of that is the strong, tight-knit community. It's not like someone else can just pick up a camera. She really put her heart and soul into it and was inspiring to work with.”
Twyla was 38 years old and leaves behind a four-year-old daughter.
A celebration of life for Twyla in Campbell River will be live-streamed on Sunday, October 8, at 2 pm at tvpowellriver.com.
