From the pages of an award-winning novel to the big screen is the journey of “Neither Wolf Nor Dog,” an independent film that has been making a gigantic impact on communities since its release in 2017, a news release stated.
The film will be screened at 6:30 p.m. March 17-18 in the Chalberg Theatre at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.
“This film proved to be an immensely popular part of last season’s offerings,” Patrick Spradlin,
producer of the Cultural Arts Series with the Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center, stated. “This year, we have added an exciting facet to the showings. Kent Nerburn, the author of the book from which the film is adapted, will be present to lead discussions after each screening.”
Nerburn’s book was first published in 1994 and was the winner of the Minnesota Book award. The publisher, New World Library, estimates worldwide sales around half a million copies with sales in Europe and in particular Germany with strong sales. The American Indian College fund stated, “This is one of those rare works that once you’ve read it, you can never look at the world, or at people, the same way again.”
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“We are very excited about Kent coming to Brainerd for this event,” Spradlin stated. “He’s a Minnesotan by birth, and now lives in the northwest. To have him here to share his perspectives on the experience of living the book’s story, the writing of the novel, and making of the film … this is an extraordinary opportunity for our audience. It’s not often you are able to speak directly to the creator of such an important work as this one clearly is.”
Filmmaker Steven Lewis Simpson knew traditional film distributors have no idea how to access the core audience for the film so he opted to bypass them and started self distributing directly to theaters in 2017. It was still in first run cinemas in 2019, which makes it the longest first run theatrical release in the U.S. in more than a decade. In its first week at the CEC theater in Bemidji, it was the No. 1 film beating nine Hollywood movies and getting more than 1,600 admissions in a town of 15,000. In Minneapolis, it sold out shows and had more admissions on its opening week than the film with the highest screen-average in the entire USA.
“Last year, we sold out the screenings we had,” stated Spradlin. “I suspect this year will be the same, given the way word-of-mouth operates to promote events.”
The story follows a white author who gets drawn into the heart of contemporary Native American life in the sparse lands of the Dakotas by a 95-year-old Lakota elder and his sidekick.
The film stars the late Chief Dave Bald Eagle in the lead role as a Lakota elder. He was 95-years-old at the time of filming and it was his first starring role in a film.
The film also stars Christopher Sweeney as Nerburn; Richard Ray Whitman as Grover; Roseanne Supernault as the twins Wenonah and Danelle; Tatanka Means as Delvin; Zahn McClarnon as Billy; and Harlen Standing Bear Sr. as Jumbo.
The film is notable for a climactic scene shot at Wounded Knee where the script and the novel was thrown away. Dave Bald Eagle improvised the whole scene from his heart, as his family had a closer connection to the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 than even the character he was playing. At the end of filming the scene, he turned to Christopher Sweeney who was acting opposite him and said “I’ve been holding that in for 95 years.” Dave Bald Eagle saw the film before he passed away and stated, “It’s the only film I’ve been in about my people that told the truth.”
Tickets for the film are available from the CLC Theatre Box Office at 218-855-8199 or online at www.clcperformingarts.com .
