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Local gets involved with Canadian-focused film

There’s more to being Canadian than hockey pucks, maple syrup and poutine.
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Co-producer Jarrod Thalheimer holds a copy of Being Canadian.

There’s more to being Canadian than hockey pucks, maple syrup and poutine.

At least, that’s the message co-producer Jarrod Thalheimer agreed with when he became involved in his latest production, Being Canadian.

The Okanagan born-and-raised resident noticed the synopsis for the movie on the website Indigogo, and although he had no connection with director Robert Cohen (The Simpsons, Big Bang Theory), he was taken by the idea.

“A lot of things (Cohen) talked about rang true with me,” said Thalheimer.

“We connected on the material and I wanted to help them anyway I could. Rob is brilliant and this documentary is hilarious.

“It’s a love letter to Canada.”


The documentary takes a twist on what it means to be Canadian, and interviews well-known Canadians like: Rush, Trailer Park Boys, Mike Myers and more as they describe their perspective as Canadians. It hit theatres in mid 2015 and is currently available on DVD.

The film took almost 10 years to make, Thalheimer joined the process in 2012, 2013.

Thalheimer was able to co-produce the movie from his office in Kelowna.

Being a documentary film made it easier for him to work from home, he said.

“With a documentary so much is interviews that you can’t schedule for a Friday and everyone shows up,” he said, adding he didn’t have to be with Cohen for interviews.

A majority of Thalheimer’s work schedule is spent working from home, but living in Kelowna hasn’t changed him to become starstruck by celebrities.

Aside from seeing David Steinberg during the Los Angeles premier in 2015, where Thalheimer admits he “geeked out a bit,” seeing movie stars doesn’t affect him.

“We’re all just people, they’re people too,” he said.

Being in the film industry for around 15 years has given Thalheimer perspective.

His big break began at a hotel in Kelowna, where he worked at the front desk (now the Prestige Beach House).

A movie crew stayed at the hotel in 1992, and filmed Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) for In Exile.

Thalheimer admits In Exile was a low budget film, but when the crew requested a larger room, he jokingly said he would provide the room at the price of allowing him to be an extra.

The crew suited him up with a red beret, a fake gun and told him to surround a UFO in the middle of the night.

“I thought holy crap I get to play make believe as an adult,” he said.

He was hooked afterwards and spent time in Vancouver and L.A., receiving a creative writing degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

In 2004, Thalheimer moved back to Kelowna, where he lives with his wife, Dawn, and six children.

His day-to-day schedule is always changing, as he writes entertaining relationship columns for Bella, a magazine based in New York, as well as corperate writing, speeches, and working with his friend and comedian Michael Gelbart on his All New Smash Hits, set to be distributed in the next six months.

His love of the little apple stays with him as does his love for his job.

Every day is different for Thalheimer, who excels at multitasking, and he appreciates the technology that allows him to stay close to home.

He describes his day as “trying to get touches on every project,” and communicates with clients, and co-workers via the internet.

“My editor in New York, I’ve known her for 12 years but I’ve never met her,” he said.

To find out more about Thalheimer, visit his website at littlebluetruck.com.