NORTHERN LIGHTS

With black-and-white footage reminding the viewer of its historical roots, NORTHERN LIGHTS provides an appealing portrait of an all-but-forgotten segment of American history. The sweep of the Great Plains, the intimacy of a family dinner, the passion of angry farmers demanding their rights, all of this is recreated in this documentary-style narrative of life in North Dakota in 1915. Directors Hanson and Nilsson used only three professional actors in the film; other characters are deftly portrayed by the actual citizens of the North Dakota location site. NORTHERN LIGHTS is a story of emotions – love, fear, frustration – and has gained a reputation as the new “Grapes of Wrath.”