It is likely that many Star Trek fans since the 1960s have shot home movies, recreating Gene Roddenberry’s television in their basements and backyards. I know I was part of one in sixth or seventh grade. So, it’s little surprise that film students in California in 1985 wanted to take their turn at making one such film.
Yorktown: A Time to Heal was the brainchild of college student Stan Woo, who worked with friends and fellow students to make this tribute to the series. Funded largely by Woo’s father, the production cost about $10,000 and was shot in and around the area between 1985 and 1987. Surprisingly, he coaxed George Takei to reprise the role of Hikaru Sulu in this fan film while awaiting work on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Perhaps even more surprising, Woo found and convinced veteran character actor James Shigeta (Die Hard) to join the production in the role of “revered” Admiral Nogura.
Star Trek production designer Joe Jennings and special effects artist Andrew Probert even contributed to the production. Both were easily located through the phone book (trust me, these were simpler days).
And then the film disappeared. Woo admitted in the 90-minute documentary Beam Me Up Sulu that the Paramount Pictures canvas bag containing the film reels was misplaced in his family home, where it remained undiscovered for years.
Meantime, John Atkin read about the production in Starlog #119 in 2010 and wanted to watch the film. He found Woo, learned the film was never quite finished, and offered to help. Between 2010 and 2022, Atkin worked sporadically on digital effects while additional scenes were filmed to complete the story.
The 23-minute fan production debuted on April 2, 2022, and is available on YouTube. This documentary, produced by Timour Gregory and Sasha Schneider, recounts how this remarkable production came to be and places it in context within the world of Star Trek.
Eugene Roddenberry recounts his father’s pre-television career, while copious film clips depict the social issues consuming the 1960s, with science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer noting that the series was a beacon of hope amid the chaos. Takei himself discusses his upbringing, including the now well-told story of his time in the Japanese internment camps. There’s a digression on how Asians were depicted in film and television until Takei helped break stereotypes with Sulu. Several other actors from across the sprawling franchise—Garrett Wang, Christina Chong, Alexander Siddig, and Ian Alexander—all chime in about how the original series paved the way for diversity to flourish (perhaps Roddenberry’s greatest legacy).
There’s even a section covering diversity and acceptance within the fan community and at conventions (although the scenes are all from pro events like Creation rather than fan-run shows).
As a result, we get a lot of digressions to pad out the film, each element deserving its own examination. The real joy is watching the young cast and crew in behind-the-scenes footage from the original production, along with recollections from several participants. James Sheigeta’s widow was totally unaware of his participation, and there’s genuine delight on her face as she sees his scenes for the first time. To bridge some of the stories, the producers brought in Gazelle Automations to produce Filmation-style animated bits, which provide a nice touch.
This is a mostly engaging documentary, available on disc from Tribeca Films, and a true Valentine to Star Trek and the generations of fans who were in some way inspired by its promises.
English (US) · 