Jajo's Secret

Jajo's Secret
Directed by	James Motluk
Starring	Lubomyr Luciuk Inky Mark
Theme music composer	Tad Winklarz
Country of origin	Canada
Original languages	English Ukrainian
Production
Cinematography	Lance Carlson
Editor	Jack McLuskie
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	Omni Television
Release	June 8, 2009 (2009-06-08)

Jajo's Secret is a 2009 made-for-TV documentary film about the internment of Ukrainian Canadians by the government of Canada during World War I. It was produced and directed by James Motluk (credited as James E Motluk) ^[1] and broadcast on Omni Television. ^[2] One of the first projects funded by the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. ^[3]

Summary

The film begins with the discovery by filmmaker Motluk of a parole certificate issued to his late grandfather, Elias, in 1918. Trying to uncover the truth about why the certificate was issued, he begins a journey that is chronicled in the film, first to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and then to Ottawa. What he discovers is that the Canadian government created legislation known as the War Measures Act to arrest and intern thousands of Ukrainians whom they perceived as enemy aliens during World War I. After the war, these prisoners were paroled and made to work as forced labour in many private Canadian companies on the railroad, in the mines and even building the national park system. ^[4] Motluk traces his own grandfather to a camp located in the northern Ontario town of Kapuskasing.

Until recently, the Canadian government tried to hide what had happened. During the production of the film, the government finally apologized to the Ukrainian community and agreed to pay restitution. ^[5] The title refers to Motluk's grandfather whom he would call Jajo, a child's version of Tato which is Ukrainian for father.

Critical reception

The film has received a lot of praise since its debut on Omni Television in June 2009. In 2011, it was invited to screen at Columbia University ^[6] in New York and later at the Ukrainian Museum in Manhattan.

References

1. "James E. Motluk". IMDb . Retrieved February 19, 2025.
2. "Canadian Documentary Premiere on OMNI.2" (Press release). Omni Television. June 4, 2009. Archived from the original on December 25, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
3. Motluk, James (2009). "Projects funded to date – Jajo's Secret" (PDF). Recalling Canada's first national internment operations: Annual report of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (Report). Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund & Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
4. "Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada - Mount Revelstoke Internment Camp - 1918". pc.gc.ca. Parks Canada. July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
5. "Welcome | Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund | 202-952 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2W 3P4 | Phone: [phone] | Toll Free: 1-866-288-7931". Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
6. "Jajo's Secret, 2009". Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University. Retrieved February 19, 2025.