Tyson Haller (1962 - 2021)
The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) family and community is grieving the loss of Tyson Haller who passed away on March 16, 2021. He was a huge supporter and advocate of the ECH both during its original program at the Embassy Hotel and its present online format.
All images presented here were sent to the ECH by Tyson for use in this online format.
All images presented here were sent to the ECH by Tyson for use in this online format.
Tyson Haller, Sarajevo, 2018
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Tyson Haller's parents Helen and Egon Haller owned the Embassy Hotel and he was a huge part in running the hotel and organizing the music program in the hotel bars. Tyson went on to study film at Ryerson University in Toronto.
Prior to the start of the 2020 pandemic, Tyson was living between Ottawa and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Sarajevo, he was teaching storytelling through the lens at a primary school. He was also working on the completion of his documentary film concerning the new generation of youth living in Sarajevo. The feature film, Goodbye, was about children growing up in Sarajevo during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He passed away in March 2021 in Ottawa. Banner image: Still from Tyson Haller's film project, hillside outside of Sarajevo. From archives ofTyson Haller. |
Embassy Hotel
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Jewel in front of the Embassy Hotel 1990s. Photo credit: Tyson Haller
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eI grew up here
Always chasing what's possible Ya I grew up here With the old men The ladies and escorts The 1st Peoples The bands Social Distortion, DOA, No Means No, Rancid, SNFU, Face To Face The Art The Art exhibits The Embassy Cultural House Remember Polish your Eyes Greg Curnoe, Tom Benner, Ron Benner, Eric Stach They taught me to hum a song Till the feeling is gone It burnt down Now I look at the stars at night Oh the modern world You made my eyes red and raw Lived through it To get to this moment So I close my eyes Click my heels 3 times Embassy Home You had to go I know I know But if you look around You just might feel the ghost Floating around Reminding us That the winds are blowing And we can always choose what is possible than what we see... Tyson Haller, August 2020 
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Photograph and Text : Protest, Justice For David Camp, Banja Luka
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You were standing
Wondering what will come to be I’m new in town I have searching eyes I see light For a minute we were all innocent We all have hearts In dreams I see change This dream we cradle Miss Baja Luka Banja Luka I’m gonna miss you When I’m gone For Banja Luka Tyson Haller, October 2018 |
On 18 March 2018, David Dragičević, a 21-year-old man, went missing in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 24 March, his dead body was found. Police investigation ruled the death as an accident, but Dragičević's parents claimed that their son was brutally murdered and that the police and prosecutor's office are trying to cover-up the case. The result of the police investigation provoked major public uproar, and many mass protests were organized demanding the truth and justice. The public was overwhelmingly convinced that Dragičević was murdered. Tyson was in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the high of the Justice for David protests and covered the protests as a photo journalist. He sent these photos to his cousin Tariq Gordon, who was monitoring the B & H October 2018 elections for the OSCE in Banja Luka.
Tyson's film project: Goodbye
Tyson was also working on the completion of his documentary film concerning the new generation of youth living in Sarajevo. The feature film, Goodbye, was about children growing up in Sarajevo during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He was unable to return due to the COVID-19 pandemic to complete the film. He passed away in March 2021 in Ottawa. Below are some of the promotional images for the film which he shared in summer 2020.
Image from Tyson Haller's upcoming film: Goodbye, photo credit Tyson Haller.
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Image from Tyson Haller's upcoming film: Goodbye, photo credit Tyson Haller.
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Documentary projects with IDEA
Tyson worked on a number of documentary film projects with IDEA, Integrated Development Enterprise Associates, an Ottawa-based international development management consultancy firm, specializing in the provision of technical assistance and training. IDEA was founded on January 1, 2000. Below are three of the films which Tyson directed, you can visit the IDEA website to see the films:
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Transitions
Transitions is a comprehensive documentary that follows the inception of the $6 million Decentralized Management of Skills Training Project in Ukraine (DMSTP), which aims to support the implementation of a decentralized management model for the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP). The project coordinates skills training in Ukraine by empowering Regional Administrations to design and implement programming in response to the demonstrated needs of stakeholders such as labour unions and associations of industries and entrepreneurs. The project will support the MLSP’s efforts to coordinate training supply with demand across economic and government sectors as represented by a wide variety of national and regional stakeholders in Ukraine’s skills training system. Airing: 2008 Genre: Documentary (16 minutes) Producer: Hussein M. Amery Co-Producer: Igor Ilko Editing:Igor Sukholotyuk, Andrei Uzlov Director - Production: Tyson Haller Director - Post-Production: Donna Leon |
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Partnerships for Tomorrow Program II: Building bridges for tomorrow
Building on the success of CIDA’s initial Partnerships for Tomorrow Program, Phase II expands the programs focus to include Central Asian countries as well as Central and Eastern European countries. The program continues to support small projects designed to fortify partnerships and linkages between Canadian organizations and organizations from the eligible countries. This documentary highlights the various goals and successes the program has achieved through interviews and footage taken of the participants. Airing: 2006 Genre: Documentary Producer: Hussein M. Amery Co-Producer:Gail Bowkett, Walid Madhoun Editing: M. P. Circelli Director: Tyson Haller |
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The Central & Eastern European Partnership for Tomorrow Program
The CIDA funded Partnerships for Tomorrow Program was initiated to develop sustainable models for effective interaction between technical institutions and industry. The program supports small projects which aim to build and strengthen partnerships and linkages between Canadian organizations and organizations from the eligible Central and Eastern European countries. These long term relationships will facilitate the capacity development of individuals and organizations in the region while developing Canadian expertise in working these countries. This documentary highlights the various goals and successes the program has achieved through interviews and footage taken of the participants. Airing: 2003 Genre: Documentary Producer: Hussein M. Amery Co-Producer: Branka Gudelj Editing: Richard Millen Director: Tyson Haller |
Sister Speak to Me: A Tribute to Zahra Kazemi, 2003
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In 2003 , Tyson and Jamelie Hassan collaborated on a film Sister Speak to Me: A Tribute to Zahra Kazemi. This film was a counter-narrative to the beating death of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi at the hands of the Iranian authorities in Tehran. Canadian Journalists for Free Expression co-sponsored the premier screening of the film at the London Public Library in September 2003. Read the press release here.
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