Welcome to LeithMichael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
What do you do when neo-Nazis try to take over your town? This question became a sinister reality for the inhabitants of the small village of Leith. A fascinating film about the boundaries of free speech and democracy, which is all the rage at international film festivals.
Deep in beautiful North Dakota lies the small hamlet of Leith, where the 24 inhabitants all get along. One day the village gets a new resident, notorious neo-Nazi Craig Cobb. He has a dubious plan: he buys land in the small village, wants to take over the administration and transform Leith into a community exclusively for white supremacists. But the locals are not pleased with his schemes and his extremely racist ideology.
Leading the protest against Cobb are mayor Ryan Schock, who runs a small ranch with his wife, alderman Lee Cook, who moved to the serene village after the murder of his daughter in Washington and Bobby Harper, the only African-American of the village.
The residents have one big problem: nothing Craig Cobb is doing is illegal. Legally, he is within his rights to buy land and live where he wants. And thanks to the United States’ "First Amendment" he is free to put up Nazi flags and express his racist ideas. The atmosphere in the village becomes grimmer by the day and the locals are increasingly desperate to stop Cobb.
The filmmakers show both parties and register the confrontations between Cobb and the villagers. The tension on how this impasse can be resolved is becoming more cutting. A poignant story that poses uncomfortable questions about the (boundaries of) freedom of speech and democracy. Who determines who is welcome in Leith?
USA Remarkable stories Politics Society
This screening will be preceeded by the short documentary
A Conversation with my black son
Blair Foster, Geeta Gandbhir VS 9 min.
Er komt een moment dat je als ouder ‘het gesprek’ moet hebben met je opgroeiende zoon. Maar voor de ouders van zwarte jongeren in de VS is dat niet het gesprek over seksualiteit, maar over de realiteit van racisme waarmee ze geconfronteerd zullen worden. Hoe pak je dit aan?
(more information about short film)Info
Directed by Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
US
85 min.
English
No subtitles
Programme
International selection
credits
Director
Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
Producer
Joey Carey, Jenner Furst, David Nichols, Christopher K. Walker, Joshua Woltermann
Production company
Cinemart, The & No Weather Productions
Cinematography
Michael Beach Nichols
Editing
Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker, Joshua Woltermann
Music
T. Griffin
Contact info
Bekijk Contact info(en screener)
(beschikbaar vanaf 20.03)