Albert Milgrom's Dinkytown Uprising Connects with Viewers in Duluth

Director Albert Milgrom

In November Albert Milgrom will be 93 years old, numbering him among the oldest emerging film directors in the world, if not the oldest. His first film, Dinkytown Uprising, aired this weekend as part of the DuSu Film Festival (DSFF). In the question and answer period afterwards it was apparent that the film did more than get people thinking. It stimulated conversations and stirred emotions.

Dinkytown Uprising is a documentary about an incident that took place in the spring of 1970. This was the time of Vietnam war student marches and protest actions around the country. In Dinkytown the student-led activism had a twist. The protest was against a corporation coming in and disturbing the community feel of a section of town that housed a collection of small, local businesses. In some ways, this became a battle against the times we live in where bigger, well-financed powers impose there will on smaller powers, whether it be communities or countries as in Southeast Asia.

The film was introduced by Richard Hansen, founder of the film festival here in the Twin Ports. It's a film Hansen himself had a hand in fifteen years ago when he helped Milgrom convert the raw 16 mm footage to a digital format. Hansen was honored to help bring this film to the DSFF in part because, "He (Milgrom) is my mentor and taught me everything I know."

Milgrom, who was founder of the Mnpls./St. Paul International Film Festival, like many directors had an early interest in photographer and learned to develop film at the age of ten. From the first his photography exhibited an artistic urge. After WW2 the film Rashamon made a huge splash and the power of early Kurasawa films made an impact on Milgrom, who was doing journalism at the time. These and the new wave of French directors showed the power of film as a form of literature, Milgrom stated in a poat-film interview. "The Ffties... if you were half alive you couldn't help be aware of what was going on in film." Italian neo-Realism was another source of inspiration as well as Cinema Verite.

As a result of these influences Milgrom founded the Film Society in 1962. "I wanted to see a lot of these films myself," he said. Eight years later he would take footage of the Dinkytown Protest using techniques internalized from his heroes of film making.

Rallying community support for the students.

The film follows the story of the two month confrontation between protesters and police by following seven protagonists in a then and now story. Being the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this seemed an especially good moment in time to reflect on the events of that time.

There are many Duluth connections in the film. Bob Dylan, who was born here, lived above Gray's Drug Store in Dinkytown for the short time he attended U of MN when he left his Iron Range home before heading to New York. One of the protesters followed in the story later went on to found a domestic abuse intervention project in Duluth that has now become a worldwide model for dealing with the issue of domestic violence.

The film excelled in reflecting the times that birthed it. Youthful ideals met the powers that be head on, and though the battle was lost there were many things gained. In the discussion period afterwards someone expressed the feeling that the film made fun of the kids' idealism. Another defended the film maker stating that the words "unrealistic idealism" came out of the mouth a character, and was not necessarily the assessment of the film maker.

The music used in the film worked smoothly, especially Dylan's Dear Landlord. "Please don't put a price on my soul," he appeals as we see footage of the struggle in a moving sequence.

Dan Geiger, who served as an assistant on the Coen brothers' Fargo, was the fourth editor to help tackle the project. Geiger was also on hand to answer questions. Two years ago he was asked to pick up the ball after it had stalled again and from August to present he worked 24/7 to complete this undertaking.  He stated that he believed the film is a valuable record of the times.

I think that this assessment will stand as more people have an opportunity to see it.

For more information on Al Milgrom and his Dinkytown Uprising, visit www.almilgrom.com

Richard Hansen Shares His Passion for the DuSu Film Festival

Over the past 100 years movies have become a significant art form. One outgrowth of this phenomenon is the emergence of film festivals, which offer an extended presentation of films for the purpose of introducing new work and gaining feedback, or just providing a shared experience around a theme.

When Richard Hansen brought his love of film to the Twin Ports in an effort to give birth to a new film festival I was really unaware of how extensive these festivals were. Nearly everyone is familiar with Cannes and Sundance, but since the emergence of our own festival I have learned of hundreds of others and Wikipedia states that there are more than 3,000 active film festivals worldwide.

Next week will be the sixth year of what is now been tagged as the DuSu Film Festival. Opening night of the four day event is June 3 at Clyde Iron Works. Here's an interview with Richard Hansen, the primary force behind this exceptional event.

EN: How many years have you been conducting the DuSu Film Festival and how has it evolved from its initial vision?

Hero Cove

Richard Hansen: This will be year 6 of the festival. We changed the name between year 3 and 4 as we felt it was a better match for the region. It has really evolved into a much more regionally based festival with many of the titles being shot in and around the region. Much of this has to do with the rebate and incentive program that has allowed filmmakers who produce in MN to get a MN rebate of 20-25% and if you shoot up on the range IRRB adds an additional 20%. These incentives have encouraged producers and directors to make their films in MN...which means DSFF gets a chance to screen these high quality productions at our festival. Filmmaking in MN and particularly The Arrowhead has really blossomed in recent years, and while we cannot take credit for much of that, there are many factors that go into having a great filmmaking community, we can say that we have been a significant factor in helping to profile the great work that is happening around in MN.

EN: I noticed that you’ve included Eveleth in this year’s set of venues. How did that happen?

"Fantastic" is a post-modern riff on Disney's "Fantasia."

RH: Two years ago we implemented a 'Reunion Screening' line of programming for the festival. The great Riki McManus of The Upper MN Film Office suggested that we profile a film that was shot in the region in the past and bring the cast and crew together for a bit of a reunion. That year we screened Iron Will and had star Mackenzie Astin come and be a part of it. Last year it was the 1972 Glensheen Mansion location set You'll Like My Mother with Patty Duke in attendance. This year, because it is the 10 Year Anniversary of North Country, we decided to screen that. We thought it would be neat to expand our operation out to the range, and especially because some scenes in the film were shot at The Eveleth Auditorium, we felt it was apropos to show the film there as our Closing Night Event. IRRB and the City of Eveleth were all very supportive and even excited to have it there so we thought it best to include the range into our programming locations. We will have music, food, and Actor Chris Mulkey (Whiplash, Captain Philips, North Country and television's Twin Peaks) is coming in as our special guest for that screening. We think it will be fun, even with the heavy subject matter of the film.

EN: Why is film such an important medium still today?

Heart of Wilderness

RH: 'Still today' is kind of a funny thing, only because I think film is still in it's infancy. The moving image is the most recent of all the art forms, so I think it's generally considered the new bad boy, least respected, but most popular of the art universe. I think it's fascinating to people on many different levels and it functions in people's lives in a number of different capacities. Movies pervade our existence, as our favorites define our personalities, and because of the massive nature of the industry we are inundated with their presence. But the great thing about that is that there is such an incredibly wide range of options available that we can niche our interests and still have access to just about any level of obscurity we like. From the major studios ...which are some of the largest corporations in the world; to Netflix, Amazon, and a dozen other on demand services; to film festivals big and small; to YouTube and Vimeo; to the guy from your hometown who made a very cool documentary about an artist that you personally know...there is a reason this movie shit is so popular. Something for everybody.

EN: How do you go about choosing the films that will be aired each year?

Wicker Kittens

RH: Something that I figured out pretty recently is that I cannot define what the festival will be from year to year... it always chooses to define itself. We literally have to wait to see what is going to become available and then figure it out from there. We... me, film programmers, hospitality coordinators, volunteer coordinators, event planners, and venue managers, all literally wait to see what opportunities present themselves as the year turns from the last to the next. We wait to see what pops up at Sundance and SXSW, we watch for festival hits, we see what has been shot around the region that is making national and international waves, we see if a local guy we like has got something ready by April, we wait to see if a film we really want is gets a distributor or if it will play Duluth before the festival...it is purely a juggling act. We have people all around the country looking at films that they think might work for us. But in the end... it mostly comes down to me and the festival programmer (this year Tyler Johnson at Zinema) picking what we think will work. We are a boutique festival... just 18 feature length films and 15 or so shorts, so we have the benefit of just hand picking what we like and what we can get.

EN: Do you have a personal favorite for 2015?

RH: Oh man... don't make me choose. Cop out answer is that everything is good... and that is no BS. We are a boutique fest so there is not a clunker in the mix. These are all films that have performed well at other festivals around the world and some which will be distributed world wide later down the road. Some have particular regional interest and are entertaining regardless of of what happens after we show it.

The festival director in me tells you that the opening night film What We Do In The Shadows has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes...can't go wrong there. We are all obviously looking forward to the North Country screening... I've actually never seen it.

What We Do in the Shadows

My film artsy side can't say enough about Tired Moonlight, Metalhead, and Tales of Hoffmann... all incredible works of art.

Every film in competition is outstanding. Six films that all have a special reason to be at DSFF this year and they are all inspiring and compelling to me.

You won't want to miss the message documentaries, Good Things Await, Beyond The Divide, and The Dinkytown Uprising.

Finally, the hometown heroes get outstanding profile in Adam Swanson's Spirit Mountain Mural (Artist Adam Swanson-World Premiere) and Closer Than That (Low) with Superior Elegy will uncover some unseen Duluth music history. Not to be missed.

EN: Where can people find your full schedule for when and where things will air this year?

Tired Moonlight

RH: Check the interwebs and The Twitter-Books. Festival programs will be at Zinema on May 27 (today). You can also see a poster at The Electric Fetus. Plus on TV... and in radio ads. Also billboards. And a banner. Oh, and the trailer plays before every screening at Zinema. MPR and WPR. Did we mention every film screening is free. Maybe just show up early and watch some good films. June 3-7, 2015. www.ds-ff.com

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You can tell Richard loves what he's doing. And so do we.

Beatles Help DuSu Film Festival

Help! I need somebody.
Help! Not just anybody.
Help! You know I need someone.
Help!  ~ Lennon/McCartney

In 1965 The Beatles starred in their second full-length feature film titled Help. The rating for this film at imdb.com is 7.1, which means it has a lot of likes and not that many critics. I s'pose this is because the film actually had a plot. It's popularity was not due to the acting. But you already knew that, right?

The film was a vehicle for developing and dispersing some new Beatles songs, and to attract a little cash. This morning, the movie is a vehicle for sharing some information about this year's Duluth Superior Film Festival, and (hopefully) to attract a little cash for the festival's Kickstarter campaign.

Disclaimer: I receive nothing from this blog entry.

The correct title for this post should read, Beatles' Help; DuSu Film Festival.

But it is what it is. As is the film festival, now in its fourth year.

The Duluth Superior Film Festival is in fundraising mode, currently running an active Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for this year’s festival. Evidently they are not wanting to lean too heavily on their many sponsors and, I suspect, the Kickstarter Campaign

can be a form a getting the word out.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1498114599/the-duluth-superior-film-fest-advises-you-to-take

They're not trying to raise millions to produce a film. They're looking for a modest amount to properly show the films, $2000 to help make this event a more complete experience. Unlike your typical cinema visit, the DuSu and similar film festivals will have directors, producers, screenwriters and actors on hand to give more insight to the film they created or were part of. The Q&A sessions after many of the films are worth the price of admission. The extra money helps fly these industry professional here for these first-hand encounters.

The Kickstarter Campaign winds up at the end of this weekend.  Festival director Richard Hansen has indicated that they have a great list of benefits for contributing…not the least of which is an All Access Pass for $25, which I personally consider a steal since we were paying $50 for that same pass the past three years.

Some of the films we've seen here the past couple years were later picked up by HBO and other cable channels. It's a serious, annual 5-day event, screening numerous independent films, producing multiple music performances, and hosting parties in celebration of film, music and art. I don't think The Beatles will be here, but who knows, maybe the next Beatles will be featured here in one of this year's films. Imagine. Stranger things have happened.

Here's my interview with Richard Hansen in advance of last year's Duluth Superior Film Festival.

And here's a link to the DSFF Kickstarter page.

This month we're celebrating the North X North Music and Arts Experience here in the North Country. This week the Homegrown Music Festival has been busting out walls. Next week will be Visual Arts/Gallery Week,  week, followed by Theater/Ballet/Symphony week and Dylan Days, and ending with the Duluth/Superior Film Festival to bookend a fabulous month of arts excitement.

My recommendation: try something new, something you've never done before. Eventually you might want to do it all.

Artist Interviews: Best of 2012 (Part II)

The author w/ Rosvall Eyeglasses

It appears that these year-end compilations of artist interviews are becoming an annual event. I have certainly spoken with a lot of interesting people. I've also learned much and it has been my privilege to share their insights and experiences with a wider audience. Here's part two of my 2012 artist interviews, a small collection of examples as to why the Twin Ports arts scene is so vibrant right now.

Fruit from a Long Dialogue with Artist Ann Klefstad

Ann Klefstad (Part 2)

Ann Klefstad (Part 3)

Eight Minutes with Richard Hansen and the DuSu Film Festival

Eight Minutes with Northland Painter Aaron Kloss

Ten Minutes with Artist Wanda Pearcy

Eight Minutes with Artist Morgan Pease

Heino Magic

Eight Minutes with Artist/ Water Advocate Tonya Borgeson

Eight Minutes with Artist Wynn Davis

Spotlight on Photographer John Heino

John Heino (Part 2)

Five Minutes with Minnesota Artist Patricia Canelake

Jen Dietrich’s American Iconography

Ryan Tischer Discusses Washington Gallery and Artist Collective

David Moreira Talks About the Art of SkatRadioh

Andrew Floberg piece, one of many great events @ Washington Galleries

Read my upcoming article in this week's Reader for a look back at the 2012 Twin Ports arts scene. Visit tomorrow for more artist interviews from our local scene and abroad.

Call for Art at the Prøve Gallery in Duluth

The upcoming art show at the Prøve Gallery in Duluth is called "UNDER $100."  Curator for this show is Richard Hansen, eldest of the five-member collective.What follows is a message for both artists and fans of the arts.

As Duluth's newest space for emerging and contemporary art, Prøve has assembled some impressive exhibitions during its first year in operation. The gallery is a non-profit seeking to give emerging artists the opportunity to gain experience and exposure while furthering Duluth's community involvement and interest in the arts.

Hansen put out the call for art on the gallery's Facebook page. Here's what they are seeking for this show:

All work should be priced under $100. There are no theme or media restrictions. Works can be hung on the wall, free standing, laying on the floor, suspended, etc. Send submissions to richard@provegallery.com or to 21 N Lake Avenue, Duluth, MN 55802 with a self-addressed return envelope.

A complete entry will include contact information, a short bio, a statement for the piece(s), and five jpg or pdf images of the artist's work. Submissions must be of finished work.

Submissions are due by November 30th, and selected artists will be notified by December 3rd, 2012.

If selected, work needs to be delivered by Wednesday, December 12th, 2012. Gallery Opening is Friday December 14th, 2012 and will run for 2 weeks. 

The invitation requests that all work be matted, framed, and/or ready to install upon delivery, with installation instructions included.

Hansen and team include the gallery dimensions in their invitation and suggest that works not exceed 10' x 10', which I must observe is quite a large piece for under $100. That would come to a dollar per square foot of art, or 31 boxes of Life cereal when it's on sale.

Pieces by Heino will be there.

As regards the show itself, this will be a great opportunity for novice collectors to find something to begin their own personal collections. A few years back I found a special piece at the Park Point Art Fair, and it hangs here in my home office to this day. After that I brought home a piece by Jessica Turtle, and have slowly continued to add to these.

If collecting is not a direction for you, original art makes a great gift for friends or loved ones. The best part is that when you own a piece of art, from practical pottery to wall paintings or sculpture, you spend the money only once but get to enjoy it for ever.

Hope to see you there.

Ten Minutes with Richard Hansen, Director of the 2nd Annual Duluth International Film Festival

A friend of mine said that when he went to the Duluth Film Festival last year he was blown away. His expectations were modest, but after the first film he couldn't believe what he just saw. Then he took in the second, and the third. Ultimately he attended 11 films and participated in many of the dialogues with directors that can be part of a film festival experience.

Two weeks ago I met Richard Hansen, director of the event, and was sufficiently impressed with his vision and enthusiasm to make sure we had lunch together last week. I now understand why an international film festival would make its home in Duluth. It's my hope that Hansen and associates is sufficiently successful to make this the next Sundance.

Ennyman: How did you come to Duluth and what prompted you to start the Duluth International Film Festival?
Richard Hansen: Riki McManus of the upper MN Film office and I had a mutual friend named Andrew Peterson who suggested that Riki and I meet. He knew Duluth was a great spot and that Sound Unseen could expand here. I meet with Riki about 3 years ago. We became instant friends and I fell in love with Duluth. There were so many supportive people and organizations, it became a no brainer to develop the festival franchise here.

Enny: I heard nothing but rave reviews over last year's films. What is the process for deciding what films will be shown?
RH: Well, that’s very flattering, Ed…thanks for saying…We have an outstanding staff of programmers who literally scour the globe looking for films that will fit into our festival. Last year alone, we had representatives at Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribecca, Berlin, Rotterdam, Toronto, Seattle and numerous other festivals. These guys are professional programmers who book for other organizations and festivals, so everybody is always looking. As Adam Sekuler, one of our programmers likes to say ‘We’re professional lookers.’

We also like to choose filmmakers who we think have bright futures in the industry and are just all around good people. This makes for much better visiting guests. We like making new filmmaker friends then asking them to come hang out with us in Duluth. We do have some thoughts on what we think will play well here in the Twin Ports area…sort of a Duluth style, so that plays into our selections as well.

Enny: Will there be actors, directors, writers and/or producers here?
RH: Yes, yes, and yes…and even some film distributors. We like to have a range of industry professionals come in. We’re especially proud to have Gina Belafonte as our featured guest. She is the producer of our Opening Night film Sing Your Song, which is a documentary on her father, Harry Belafonte. (right) She produced the film so it is really, obviously a very passionate and heartfelt project for her. It’s only screened a Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribecca and Berlin…which are 4 of the most influential festivals on the planet. Sound Unseen Duluth is its final festival screening before it goes to HBO…so obviously we’re really pleased that we got the film.

Additionally, we’ll have over a dozen directors/actors/producers/industry professionals in attendance. This is a great part of what we are doing, because each of these talented people become really accessible to festival participants. There will be question and answer sessions after all of the films with a filmmaker present, and they’ll all be at the parties and events…they’ll be walking down the street and on the lakewalk enjoying Duluth just like all the rest of us do. We think this something that makes our festival special.

Enny: In addition to the films, you also have music and art. What's unique about this facet of the festival?
RH: We’ve had a focus on music and art within the festival since its inception a dozen years ago in Minneapolis. This is our niche in many ways. We think film, music, and art are such natural crossovers, that it just made sense for us to work on more than just showing movies. So many filmmakers are artists or musicians, and most everyone who enjoys this type of film also appreciates art and music…it seemed very obvious the work it all in together.

Both last year and this year we have a Film Competition where we screen 6 music related films and have jurors decide on which one they like best. There are so many great music related films out there, we think this is a great way to celebrate that fact.

Enny: Who picked the UMD student selections and when will they be airing?
RH: UMD students picked the UMD student selections! Working with UMD this year has been outstanding, and we wanted to find a way to incorporate this great university into what we were planning. There is a great bunch of young minds coming out of UMD who burn for this type of opportunity, so we let the bright and ambitious kids take the lead on selecting some of the UMD selections. The shorts collection will screen Friday June 11th at 5 pm at Zinema. The kids are as excited as is the UMD staff.

Enny: Thank you, Richard, for all your efforts to bring such an event to our beautiful shores.

EdNote: The project could still use some financial support to obtain additional special funding. I strongly encourage friends of the arts to visit the Film Festival Kickstarter page to help bring this event to full fruition.