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Documentaries by two Wrangell freshmen set to play at two film festivals
By Jonathon Dawe
Wrangell Sentinel
Equipped with nothing more sophisticated than standard iPads and basic iMovie software, two Wrangell freshmen spent their summer turning personal curiosities into cinema. Now, their work is headed for the big screen.
Original, short documentaries by high school freshmen Quinton Davies and Erika Jabusch have been selected for prestigious film festivals this fall and winter, marking the second consecutive year that young storytellers from the community will reach wider audiences.
Davies’ documentary, “Standing Tall in Wrangell,” will screen at the Red Nation International Film Festival in Los Angeles, which runs Nov. 6-14, with streaming into the new year. Jabusch’s film, “New Beginnings — Zanovo, Diving Deep into the Rich Tapestry of Russian Culture,” will travel north to the Anchorage International Film Festival, running Dec. 4-13.
For middle school digital storytelling teacher Laura Davies, who volunteers her time to mentor the students, the festival selections highlight pure grit and creative determination over high-end gear.
“No one is saying they’re perfect, but I’m so proud of what they were able to accomplish with the limitations they had,” she said. “This experience has taught me to make sure every student, in the future, has access to a computer with better software.”
Quinton Davies turned his camera toward a milestone community tradition, documenting the multi-day totem raising in July 2025. He centered the film around extended interviews with carver Mike Hoyt, who helped carve every pole raised during the event in addition to completing one entirely on his own.
“Quinton was able to learn a lot through the process,” Laura Davies said. “And it was good for him to be involved with it because of his Native heritage.”
Jabusch looked inward toward family history and tradition, interviewing her mother, Natalya Jabusch, who immigrated from Russia to Alaska as a child. She also featured Valentina Bardin and Laris Bardin-Siekawitch, both immigrants as well.
Capturing Russian-language interviews sparked an unexpected puzzle in the editing room.
“We tried translating the interviews during editing, but the translations weren’t right,” Laura Davies explained. “I actually paid for a translation using software online and it still wasn’t completely correct.”
Senior Andrei Bardin-Siekawitch eventually stepped up, working line by line through the dialogue to ensure cultural accuracy.
Even formatting the visuals on a tablet required quick thinking: When the software wouldn’t allow Jabusch to overlay descriptive text on photographs, she pivoted and redesigned the frames to place the text directly alongside them.
“Both Erika and Quinton are perfectionists, so they were both very protective of how they wanted things to be done with their films,” Laura Davies said. “I was able to give them some useful criticism and challenge them and they were able to push back and challenge me.”
The youthful filmmaking began in 2022 when the nonprofit organization See Stories introduced a documentary workshop in Wrangell. At the time, most participants had no experience with a camera beyond their phones.
Despite receiving no money from the school district budget, the grassroots filmmaking group has quickly gained momentum. Last year, student Ayla Harris, currently a freshman, earned a spot at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival in Canada.
“To have this level of interest so quickly is really encouraging,” Laura Davies said. “It’s exciting and I think it’s a sign of things to come.”
Quinton Davies, whose mom is Laura Davies, is already mapping out a documentary investigating sea otter populations and their ripple effects on commercial and subsistence fishing — an effort that will involve interviewing government officials across multiple levels, including federal and state.
Jabusch is pivoting to science, planning an informative piece exploring human psychology and the roots of why people behave the way they do.
Looking ahead, Laura Davies dreams of establishing a Southeast Alaska film festival in Wrangell.
“I’m from a small rural area in Canada, and I had an art teacher who made me believe that I could go places with my art and creativity,” she said. “That’s a confidence booster and it’s something that kids need. I like being able to do that for my students, too.
“I’m so excited that Wrangell — such a small town on a small island — gets to be featured and talked about in Los Angeles and Anchorage,” she said. “I have immense pride and joy for all of the kids who are making films.”
• This article originally appeared in the Wrangell Sentinel.
