By Abbey Cannan
At 91, Ron West will look back on his life, reflect on past love, and speak of the secret he carried for decades in a short documentary premiering in Pomona on Saturday 6 July.
Last Man Standing highlights the story of the organist and former owner of the world’s oldest authentic silent movie house, Majestic Theatre Pomona.
This is the first documentary directed by Sunshine Coast locals, Jordan Lawrence and Jayke Barnes, released through their new production company, Willa\Mai.
The creators originally met as musicians, with Jordan making music under the name Calan Mai, and Jayke making music and films under the name Alvy Willa.
“I filmed a little music video at the Majestic Theatre last year so I had briefly met Ron, and he had been so interesting to talk to that I never forgot it,“ Jordan said.
“When we started making these documentaries about local artists, he was one of the first people that popped into my head.
“We wanted to focus the documentaries on people who inspired us. We’re trying to make a career as artists and we know how hard that is to do.
“At age 90, he’s still doing the thing that grabbed him as a young artist. The fact that he’s still doing it at his age just seemed like the ultimate form of success to us.“
One of the most compelling facts they learnt about Ron during the process was that it took him until the age of 70 to embrace who he actually was.
“That to me was a really incredible thing because some people don’t even make it to that age,“ Jordan said.
“The fact that he has spent 20 years being honest with himself and honest with those around him about who he is, I think that is really inspiring. “Ultimately one day you do run out of time but you can still, at that age, make that decision that you’re not going to hide anymore.“
At one point during the creation process, the pair felt like they had bitten off more than they could chew.
“As we were filming a documentary for the first time, you’re coming up against things that you don’t prepare for,“ he said.
“It’s trying to determine if it’s just interesting to us or something that has appeal.
“I studied journalism and I’m now a counsellor, so the process of doing an interview for a documentary is somewhere halfway between the two.
“Whereas Jayke is a cinematographer so he’s coming at it as a storyteller in that way.“
The documentary will be followed by a short silent film performance by Ron West accompanying the film Big Business by Laurel and Hardy, and a closing of the show by Chris Rose performing the original Felix the Cat silent cartoon.
“I’m excited to see Ron watch it on that screen because he’s watched that screen for the past five decades,“ Jordan said.
“Just that alone to me is so amazing. I’ve just got such a soft spot for him and I want him to feel what we feel when he watches it.
“I want the audience to recognise how lucky they are to be in that room and to be able to hear Ron play the organ after the film. I think that is so special.“
The creators want the audience to take away a feeling of courage from the film.
“You can lose so much time being afraid and unwilling to sort of voice what you need. I just want people to come out of it not being afraid to say what they think,“ Jordan said.
See Last Man Standing on Saturday 6 July from 12pm to 2pm at Majestic Theatre Pomona. Doors and bar open at 11am with tea, coffee, snacks and refreshments available. Tickets cost $15 for adults and free for kids 13 and under. No need to book. Get your tickets at the door.
For more information on Jordan and Jayke’s productions, follow on Instagram at @alvy_willa
