Sled Dogs to Saint Paul: The Race for Clean Water, a documentary film created by Grand Marais filmmakers Kelly Schoenfelder and Patrick Knight, will premiere Friday, Nov. 9 at Betsy Bowen’s What’s Upstairs in Grand Marais. There will be two showings, at 6:30 and 8 p.m. There is no charge to attend, and the public is invited.
The film follows the dogsled run of former Minnesota State Representative Frank Moe, who mushed his team of 10 sled dogs from Grand Marais to the Capitol in St. Paul in March, carrying nearly 13,000 petition signatures opposing sulfide mining. Moe guides his team through fresh, deep snow, slogs through slush and rain, rudders across muddy farm fields, and finally navigates his sled over busy city streets to deliver the petitions to the governor’s office.
As they follow Moe’s journey, the filmmakers take a look at non-ferrous metals mining through the lens of many people who have a stake in the proposed expansion of mining in northeastern Minnesota. Those interviewed include business owners, property owners, legislators, wild ricers, tribal officials, community activists and many of the people who helped Moe along the way. It’s a fast-paced, artfully presented examination of local economics, environmental activism, corporate might, Minnesota’s mining legacy and the role that clean water resources play in the future health and wealth of the state known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Moe said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with our all-Grand Marais area team to make this film. Seeing it, it’s like being back on the trail for me and an inspiring reminder of why we made the trip in the first place.”
For more information, visit www.sleddogstosaintpaul.com. Film clips are available on the website.
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