A lifetime of music and friendship shine on-screen in Blue Rodeo: Lost Together. We chat with filmmaker Dale Heslip and Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy about documenting the history of one of Canada’s most iconic country rock bands.
Blue Rodeo: Lost Together charts the rise of Canadian music legends Blue Rodeo from the band’s early days on the Toronto music scene in the 1980s to its place as multi-platinum Juno award-winners and beyond.
“It’s a celebration of a 40-year career with a wealth of great songs, great singing and great performances,” director Dale Heslip says.
Center stage in the film are co-frontmen Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, two high school friends whose contrasting styles and desire to go their own way reined in the hearts of a generation of fans.
“We decided to marry our lives together with this pursuit of music,” Cuddy says, reflecting on their journey.
Distilling hours of interviews and archival footage into 90 minutes, the documentary explores the moments that vaulted the group to stardom and have sustained its popularity.
“Dale has sculpted a story that somehow just cuts to the chase, just tells the story of the band,” Cuddy says.
In addition to exploring Blue Rodeo’s success, Lost Together draws back the curtain on the band’s personal lives, their relationships and the struggles they have faced along the way.
“There’s a real honesty to this. The interviews we did weren’t interviews, they were conversations, and they just felt very comfortable. They felt very honest and guard down,” Heslip says.
The film’s up-close and uncensored approached further lays bare the mental and emotional toll that comes with the pressures of endless touring and recording.
“We had to talk about the fact that we weren’t going to hide certain aspects of the band.”
“The first time I saw it, I was a little self-conscious, because it’s so intimate, and there’s a lot of stuff revealed,” Cuddy admits.
At the same time, Cuddy adds, the project has instilled a greater appreciation and compassion for his bandmates and those who have been part of their journey.
“We had to talk about the fact that we weren’t going to hide certain aspects of the band. That mattered, I think, to have an honest, honest talk,” he says.
The on-screen result is a collective recollection of the events that have played out over the course of Blue Rodeo’s history and a shared record of the journey up to now.
“The way all of our stories converged and we actually got it down into this lovely documentary, the story that we’ve all lived, and now we don’t have to argue about what happened anymore. There it is in the film,” Cuddy says.
The film also illuminates the bonds that have kept the group together for the past four decades.
“We don’t have to argue about what happened anymore. There it is in the film.”
“You really see how they’ve stuck together for so long. They make each other laugh, and it’s fun to be around,” Heslip says.
The director adds that spending time with the band during filming allowed him to experience first-hand the power of those connections and the energy they continue to bring to their music.
“It’s been unbelievably enjoyable to hang out with these guys for as long as we have,” Heslip says.
Lost Together premiered at the Whistler Film Festival in December, where it took home the Audience Award. The film is now set to make its theatrical debut at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto on February 1 and screens at select theatres across the country February 2 and 3.
Ultimately, Cuddy says, he hopes the film – like the band’s performances – can help raise people’s spirits and serve as a way to celebrate Canadian music and culture.
“I feel proud that we’ve done all of this, that this happened to us, and that we kept going. We’ve made a lot of music and we’re still making music,” he says.
Heslip adds that he also hopes audiences will come to the theatre ready to enjoy the ride.
“If you’re a Blue Rodeo fan, there’s lots of Blue Rodeo music. If you loved them before, you’re going to love them even more when you see them in the film,” the director says.
He adds, “It’s a music doc, so you’re allowed to make noise and you’re allowed to sing along. That’s encouraged.”
Get screening details for Blue Rodeo: Lost Together on the band’s official website here or follow Blue Rodeo on Instagram here (@bluerodeoofficial).
