Montana
Joseph Aguirre — AKA — The Rainmaker
Director Joseph Aguirre
In Next Year Country, three Montana farming families who have struggled to keep afloat through years of drought, take their chances on hiring a rainmaker. Director Joseph Aguirre shares the genesis of the story and why it was so hard to stay dry while shooting a film about drought. Look for Next Year Country on public television this July (check local listings).
I originally heard about rainmaker Matt Ryan and the work he was doing with drought-stricken farmers in Montana from an article that ran in the Los Angeles Times in February of 2003.
On first read, the story seemed to me to have a lot of cinematic potential. I liked the folkloric Americana aspect of the rainmaker story, and the story of drought and hardship in the American West made me think of Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” and the seminal work of the depression-era FSA photographers like Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange.
Encore Presentation of Butte, America Tonight on Independent Lens
“[Butte, America] is one of those films you just couldn’t imagine on commercial TV –– a tale about a Montana mining town that died more than a generation ago, a rich catalog of memory that ends in 1985, a story of tragedy and triumph that’s mostly played out before the invention of videotape.”
- Kansas City Star
You see the world differently when you work underground. That made Butte, Montana different right from the start as immigrants came from around the world to work the mines. But what they blasted out of the 10,000 miles of tunnels was more than just copper. It was the rise of unions and multinational corporations, and the seeds of the current debate over the environment.
Check out this behind-the-scenes video of Butte, America where the filmmakers talk about how they used recreations and interviews to evoke the most immediate emotional response from the audience.
Butte, America airs tonight, March 16, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).
Video Extra: SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON
This is the companion piece to SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing this month on public television, which tells the story of an unexpected collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer that led to a unique work of art.
In this video extra, teenager Jesse Desrosier gives an intimate look into daily life on the Blackfeet reservation and attending the Nizipuhwahsin School. DesRosier captures the challenges he faces as a young American Indian living in two worlds: modern mid-America and that of his traditional heritage.
SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON airs this November on public television (check local listings).
Learn more about SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON from filmmaker Hugo Perez >>
Filmmaker Hugo Perez Recounts Unlikely Collaboration
SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November on public television, tells the story of the unlikely collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer, which resulted in a provocative symphony about the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of American Indians today. Filmmaker Hugo Perez recounts the adventurous story of how the collaboration occurred and how he and composer Rob Kapilow were accidentally mistaken as federal agents.
Stanley and Livingston. Holmes and Watson. Calvin and Hobbes. Who can forget the first time they encountered these dynamic duos? As the director of SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, I had the fortune to be present for the first fateful meeting of Rob Kapilow and Darrell Kipp––the subjects of my documentary.
I had begun my film journey following the story of maverick (have we rehabilitated that term yet?) composer Rob Kapilow on his quest to compose a symphony inspired by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Where else could this lead us but to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission Convention in Great Falls, Montana where a certain Blackfeet writer and educator named Darrell Kipp was the keynote speaker? I have to admit that the groggy encounter between Darrell and Rob by the indoor pool at the Best Western––where we were all staying––lacked a certain electricity. However, it ended with an invitation from Darrell to come and visit him on the Blackfeet reservation. And we did come back to Montana and had a wonderful visit with Darrell at the Nizipuhwasin Blackfeet Language Immersion School.
Recent Talkback About Independent Lens This Month
Always thought-provoking, sometimes controversial, Independent Lens brings you documentaries, dramas, shorts and Web-exclusive projects made by independent thinkers. Check out some of the recent Talkback from viewers about films airing this month.
HERB & DOROTHY
“What an inspiring film! If the Vogels are ‘greedy,’ it is yet a selfless compulsion–the best kind–that recognizes beauty and the persons that grow with the art. And thanks to the filmmaker who persevered to tell this intimate, quirky story.”
Posted by: Cynthia Pon on October 15, 2009
“Congratulations to all: Herb and Dorothy for your beautiful collections and sharing your love of each other and your wonderful collections. PBS you did your viewers a great service by bringing us this magnificent presentation… It touched my heart as I am sure it did others. Thank you very much.”
Posted by: Nancy on October 14, 2009
“What an informative film, captivating. Thank you to the Vogels for sharing their story with all of us and especially for supporting artists for so many years. And thank you for the gift to the National Gallery of Art.”
Posted by: Patricia Macklin on October 14, 2009
View more Talkback and submit your own for HERB & DOROTHY >>
BUTTE, AMERICA Premiering Tonight on Independent Lens
“[BUTTE, AMERICA] is one of those films you just couldn’t imagine on commercial TV—a tale about a Montana mining town that died more than a generation ago, a rich catalog of memory that ends in 1985, a story of tragedy and triumph that’s mostly played out before the invention of videotape.”
-Kansas City Star
You see the world differently when you work underground. That made Butte, Montana different right from the start as immigrants came from around the world to work the mines. But what they blasted out of the 10,000 miles of tunnels was more than just copper. It was the rise of unions and multinational corporations, and the seeds of the current debate over the environment.
BUTTE, AMERICA premieres tonight, Oct. 20, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).
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