Minnesota's Greatest Generation
Minnesota’s Greatest Generation lived through the pivotal decades of the Depression, the War and the Boom. Their contributions during difficult times leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
The result is a variety of rich and diverse life stories—tragic to heroic, dramatic to ordinary. But too many of these personal histories are in danger of being lost.
A Special Invitation: An Evening with Ken Burns
Ken Burns, an award-winning documentary
filmmaker, will discuss his new epic series "The
War," on Wednesday, September 5, at Northrop
Auditorium.
"The War" documents World War II through the memories of men and women
from four American towns, including Luverne, Minnesota. Burns will show selected
clips from his new film and answer questions. All 100 registered filmmakers
for the 2007 Moving
Pictures competition have been invited. The following day, Burns will
travel to Luverne for the Midwest premiere of "The War" at the historic Palace
Theater.
Our special TPT broadcast in conjunction with the Ken Burns documentary is titled "Greatest Generation Showcase 2: The War." It will premiere September 29th. It is a co-production of the Minnesota Historical Society and TPT and showcases up to five films (and filmmakers) submitted for the 2007 Moving Pictures Film Competition.
These specific films will focus on WWII experiences. To be considered, registered filmmakers must submit their film and paperwork to Randal Dietrich or Eric Pedersen by September 1.
In Their Words Stories Released
Stories from World War II will be featured on the award-winning website In Their Words starting Sept. 21, coinciding with the premiere showing of "The War" on Sept. 23. Featured stories include tales of military service, the home front and wartime romance.
Save the Date!
2007 Moving Pictures Awards Program
Riverview Theater
- Sunday, October 21, 2007
- 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
- Riverview Theater, Minneapolis
On Sunday, October 21, after a full day (12:00 - 5:00 pm) of short film screenings at the Minnesota History Center in St Paul, we will reconvene at 7:00 p.m. at the famed Riverview Theater in Minneapolis. This classy, early 1950s theater will be an ideal environment to recognize the top entries of 2007 and award the Moving Picture prizes totaling $10,500.
2007 Moving Pictures Filmmakers Workshop #3
Collaboration, Constructive Criticism & Creative Problem Solving
- Tuesday, August 14, 2007
- 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
- Minnesota History Center, St. Paul
- Free, RSVP to Randal Dietrich
Meet and talk with filmmakers for a relaxed, informal discussion of their short film clips. Registered filmmakers are encouraged to share samples (on mini DV or DVD format) of their work-in-progress. This is an opportunity to receive feedback on your work and seek help with specific sections in advance of the September 17 submission deadline.
Filmmakers from the 2006 Moving Pictures competition will be on hand to talk about their 30-day strategies for meeting the submission deadline. Refreshments will be served.
Other Film Related Opportunities
Sweetland on DVD
We were happy to host Minnesota filmmaker & Independent Spirit Award-Recipient Ali Selim at the History Center. "Sweetland" was just released on DVD last month and is available for purchase in the Minnesota History Center Museum Stores.
Red Tail Reborn
On June 6, The History Center hosted the Red Tail Project for the premiere of their documentary film "Red Tail Reborn." Six members of the Tuskegee Airmen joined 200 others to discuss and preview the film.
Scheduled to air nationally on PBS in February, 2008, the documentary tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the initial rebuild and mission of the Red Tail Project's P51-C Mustang under Don Hinz's leadership, and the reasons why the Red Tail Project is rebuilding the plane yet again.
Square Lake Film & Music Festival
August 18: Select films from our 2006 competition will be among those films screened at the 6th Annual Square Lake Film & Music Festival near Stillwater, Minnesota.
Share Your Story
Beyond making short documentary films, another way to tell the story of a member of Minnesota’s Greatest Generation is through our popular Share Your Story website. The website is a way for anyone to contribute a lasting memory about a member of this unique generation.
Share Your Story Collection Breaks 500!
The Share Your Story online story collection for the Minnesota's Greatest Generation Project has grown to nearly 550 stories since the website's August, 2005 launch. New story highlights include "Different," Harry J. Herder, Jr.'s account of growing up in Red Wing during the early days of World War II, and a collection of stories written by Katie Claypool.
The Share Your Story website has drawn more than 106,000 story readers to date. Visit the site regularly to see what new stories have been added!
Creative Keepsakes
Knitting For Victory!
- Thursday, September 13, 2007
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Minnesota History Center, St. Paul
- $20 / $15 for MHS Members, reservations recommended
- For tickets call 651-259-3015
“To the great American question ‘What can I do to help the war effort?’ the commonest answer yet found is ‘Knit.’" --Life magazine cover story “How To Knit,” November 24, 1941.
Knitting has long been a means for Americans to show pride and support for troops in times of war, and continues to be a popular pastime. Textile curator Linda McShannock offers an overview of World War II era knitting projects and related artifacts. Glitter Knitter Steven Berg explores men’s contributions to the knitting craft and demonstrates a fun project to bolster morale among soldiers currently serving overseas.
In this issue
Minnesota's Greatest Generation
2007 Moving Pictures Awards Program
Moving Pictures Filmmaker Workshop
Moving Pictures
- Learn more about the Moving Pictures Festival
- Register now for the 2007 Competition
- Read About the five award -winning Films and filmmakers from 2006
- View the five award-winning films from 2006 online
- See the complete list of films entered in the 2006 competition
- Find out what it was like to go to the movies in the 1940s
Featured Books
- Minnesota Goes to War
Dave Kenney - Remembering the Good War
Thomas Saylor - Dear Poppa: The World War II Berman Family Letters
Ruth Berman - One Woman's War
Anne Bosanko Green - Our Hallowed Ground: World War II Veterans at Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Stephen Chicoine