u Past 181& rth Dakota's ook the Reins 1dinavian territory _and visitCalhQlic farmers. !armers bad signed up, the Id move on to another , the new recruits t~ spread ed farJI1ers did indeed The newly_ eleclt . lau·ve skills and they ••. A t acquire egis ' hi n~ 0 k • characteristic fas on. set about !he ta~ 10 pecial session of the By the ume e s . January 1918, the legislature was cal~ddt~earned the business farmer-}egislators ha bill and had their of putting , throug a ll in hand. They legislative proa~~~ we-~~ the rate of g friends. and neighbors. had had a chance to ;:'~s would come back and 'ng farrners. , tblocal businessm~n, who the ganizers hid given up had eft the ~unty' woul~ a s, rt. Scared out of their ld arshall the newspapers ~ aenounce the ~~~gue. "anarchistic" · and vilely tQ() late. In the fall of 1916, rnanaged to elect North ,ernor three members of the e cou;t 87 members of the ~l the L~gue's candidates for ave one, . better· it im lcmented this program . , t po bills a day and adjourned. tn ~- ~~ w h historu;-session Here's wha~ \ ~al Commission to be produced: an ln us n d industries; a state in charge of state-owMn\ and Elevator b k• a state 1 • t' • an '. . . Home Building Assocta ion, Assoc1auon, a h ·1 ·1nsurance t m of state at • ed· and a sys _e 1919 the legislature app~ov .f Then, m . • x· the exemptton o a graduated mcome tat ' from taXation; a f ·mprovemen s . . f all arm i t'on act· revmon o workmen's~ompensa_ tcreatidn of a State railroad-freight ratesd, Weights and t of Gra es, . lnspec or b\' bment of an inheritance. Measures; esta i~ coo ratives. tax· and further atd to . ~ and it was lhe- Leaaue did even • f~ eeded in re-electing . the :: Frazier, but it also gamed ,e state legislature. . ed with ~ries w,:re not receiv ' ood begmmng, That was ~I. f the end. For two 1 the '--mnmg O • • t a so ""e k t the oppos1uon a ·n all quarters.. Some 1 that would be using language . ced that ?:tc\~=~icaf'n;:;nleyism'' ' Eastern newspapers d supreme. · ed national ie's progress rece1v hou1ht the con•enina of the new would bring disaster. years the ~\~e it ::d lost control of the bay, but by d lf ·mportant state offices. legislature an a 1 tisan League But the spirit of ~e ~0;:rm 1920 to the lived on for gener~,o~ Dakota politician \ate 1960s, every -~ the Leque's banner worth his salt ~ tr.ail on w.: . casnpatP • ducers, directors, editors and writers, both have roots in North Dakota. Nilsson's grandfather was the state's first cinematographer, and Hanson grew up on his grandfather's farm. (Both are members of Cine-Manifest, a progressive production company out of San Francisco). In exploring their own ties to the land they discovered the history of the Non-Partisan League; a history that is largely forgotten, even in its home territory. As they worked they shared their project with the community. Indeed, there are only three professional actors in the film; the local farmers and townfolk who make up the rest of the cast plant the film firmly in the land and its history; they are better than actors, they are,representatives, and their faces alone are incredible to. watch. As well as acting, these "non-professionals" provided ideas for the script and scenes, machinery and other stuff for props, housing for the camera crew, suppurt and enthusiasm in abundance. In turn the producers decided on a strategy of promotion and distribution that has been taking the film from the "bottom" up. Starting at a world premiere in Crosby, North Dakota (where they broke the house record with a gross of $5500 in one week), the film has been progressing steadily, finding praise and admiration both here in the states and abroad. The people of North Dakota are understandably proud and approving, but the film's appeal is universal. It seems important, however, to know the full story behind the film. Its success is all the more significant in recognition of the fact that it was achieved outside the movie "industry." Proof that we don't need "big money boys" to dictate art or business, and an inspiration for future efforts. (Northern Lights is being distributed by New Front Films, Inc., and they generally try to organize opening night fundraisers for some local good cause, so keep an eye out or ask your neighborhood non-syndicated theater about it. If you're interested in getting 16 mm prints of the film yourself, write to Elaine Archer of New Front Films: 4900 Ewing Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55410. A source for this review was an article in the October 1979 issue of Filmmakers Monthly: "The Theatrical Self-Distribution of Northern Lights," by John Hanson, pp. 19-24. Available from Sun Craft International Corporation, Box 115, Ward Hill, MA 01830, $10.00/ yr.)-KD
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