Faces of BC Film – Braden Haggerty, underwater cinematographer

Braden Haggerty. Photo: Herb DeWaal

Braden Haggerty, 46, specialized in underwater cinematography as one of three specialists in Metro Vancouver. The married mother of two teenage sons lives in Vancouver’s Dunbar area. She invested years in training to become a respected underwater cinematographer, a position not obvious for women, she says.

Haggerty is passionate about her job. “Suspension of disbelief is pretty strong in the water,” she says, for example when you see film characters fall into seemingly arctic water and still perform their tasks. In real life, they would have been in cold shock immediately, whereas on set, they can swim in a water tank heated up to 32 C.

Faces of BC Film – Alvin Sanders, Actor

Alvin Sanders. Photo: Katja De Bock

Alvin Sanders, 61, is an American actor who moved to B.C. for love 30 years ago. As the president of the Union of B.C. Performers, Sanders is used to speaking to crowds.

At a meeting of different union members in New Westminster on Feb. 13, Sanders moderated the evening, speaking to the audience with a deep, warm voice, which evokes memories of a U.S. TV-reverend and Santa Claus.