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West By Northwest.org
Western Films
Documentaries
a new film from High Plains Films
Attention, documentary film lovers! A
new production from the award winning independent studio, High Plains Films This
is Nowhere is being released with a premier on Montana Public Television., soon
be released to theatrical, broadcast, educational and home video markets. The 87
minute film, which documents the motivations and philosophies of RV travelers who
camp in Wal Mart parking lots, was four years in the making. Montana Public Television
will be a presenting station when the film is released for broadcast.
Nearly three million Americans live full-time in motor homes, campers and trailers.
Millions more spend significant portions of each year wandering America in their
homes on wheels. Taking advantage of the modern American landscape, tens of thousands
of vacation and full-time travelers steer their Recreational Vehicles (RVs) into
Wal-Mart parking lots each year to "camp" for a night or two.
2001 Montana Individual Artist Fellowship winner, Doug Hawes-Davis, and co-director
John Lilburn set out to document this emerging social phenomenon with the idea that
this story was bigger than a few wayward tourists with curious tastes in camping
spots. The result is This is Nowhere. Producer Hawes-Davis explains. "The
inherent contradiction of 'camping' in a box-store parking lot seemed like the perfect
starting place for exploring cultural attitudes towards nature, community, and sense
of place. We were surprised, however, by how eager our interview subjects were to
discuss these same themes. After the very first night of interviews we realized that
we could tie together many related issues in the same film. Themes of urban sprawl,
tourism, and consumerism are accessed by examining RV camping in Wal-Mart parking
lots."
Lilburn adds, "What we found so compelling is that Wal-Marts are becoming important
and valuable travel destinations, just as National Parks, museums and historic sites
are important travel destinations. It's clear the phenomenon is a reflection of ongoing
changes in American culture."
The travelers' rationale for seeking
out Wal-Marts as travel destinations provides a fascinating portrait of American
culture at the dawn of the 21st century. "The travelers we interviewed are not
out of the ordinary," says filmmaker Hawes-Davis. "They are representative
Americans who share a common bond of loving to travel in RVs, and loving Wal-Mart.
Most of them are interested in nature, meeting new people, learning about our nation's
history, or just plain new experiences, but they are also interested in the predictability,
homogeneity, and sameness that Wal-Mart provides for travel and shopping." And
I'd add the hoped for ease of finding a safe spot to camp close to the interstate.
The film highlights the music of Ned Mudd, of Birmingham, Alabama, but also includes
tracks from Missouri alt-country rockers, The Incontinentals and others. Montana
musician, Aaron Parrett, also recorded music for the film. One music reviewer described
Mudd's work this way, "Mudd's music defies nailing down, as does the artist.
If forced to play one style of music for more than a few days, he'd give it all up
and do something meaningful. It's about soul, not style. His music is as much picture
as sound."
This is Nowhere is the third feature documentary from High Plains Films, the
Montana-based non-profit production company which has released fifteen films that
document "the relationship between nature and society." Two earlier feature
documentaries, Varmints (1998) which has been called "the Schindler's List of
wildlife documentaries," and Killing Coyote (2000), winner of the John Michaels
Award at the 23rd Big Muddy Film Festival, have received wide acclaim.
Full of irony, This is Nowhere humorously captures the essence of American attitudes
toward nature, equality, liberty and civic values. This is Nowhere was financed by
the Fund for Wild Nature and Montana Public Television.
"Ingenious editing....witty, profound and inventive, this is documentary
filmmaking at its best."
Missoula Independent
"In an age of market globalization and shifting individual identities, it's
important that we look around us at the focal points of people's habits and passions.
This is Nowhere does just that with a curious segment of U.S. society-well-off retirees
who tour the country in RVs and camp out in Wal-Mart parking lots. With this focus,
the people at High Plains Films are able to probe not issues of urban sprawl, marketization,
and cultural homogeneization. At the same time, the film reveals several contradictions
experienced by this group of people (and many of us): for example, expressing our
freedom yet choosing sameness, simplying life but trying to 'have it all,' valuing
community yet spending time in ways that make community increasingly out of reach,
and 'rediscovering' nature
from the perspective of pavement.
George Cheney, Director of Graduate Studies,
Dept. of Communication, University of Montana
"Excellent...a funny, endearing and sometimes sorroful look at the people
who call themselves 'Wally Worlders.'"
Montana Kaiman
*** *** ***
Up-coming High Plains Films screenings/broadcasts:
EL
CABALLO: THE WILD HORSES OF NORTH AMERICA, 54 minutes,
2001
- PBS stations - check local listings
- FSTV (Dish Network satellite)
KILLING
COYOTE, 83 minutes, 2000
- FSTV (Dish Network satellite)
- DHTV-Channel 21/St. Louis, Missouri
Wednesday, May 22, 2002, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 23, 2002, 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, May 26, 2002, 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 29, 2002, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 30, 2002, 11:00 am
Sunday, June 2, 2002, 8:00 p.m.
VARMINTS, 91 minutes, 1998
- June 23-27 - North American Prairie Conference/Kirksville, Missouri
- June 28 - 911 Media Arts Center/Seattle, Washington
- FSTV (Dish Network satellite)
WIND
RIVER, 34 minutes, 1999
- FSTV (Dish Network satellite)
*** ***
More Information:
High Plains Films
P.O. Box 8796, Missoula, Montana 59807 (406) 543-6726
yak@highplainsfilms.org,
www.highplainsfilms.org
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