The Mountain and The Magic City

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TYPE: Documentary Feature
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Production

LOGLINE

In the shadow of a northern mountain, the Magic City stands on the brink of collapse, abandoned by industry and divided by a proposed national park.

SYNOPSIS

In the shadow of a northern mountain, the Magic City stands on the brink of collapse, abandoned by industry and divided by a proposed national park. A character-driven, ensemble documentary that explores the effects of globalization and American class divisions through the lens of a long-standing and classic environmental battle.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

When we set out to make this this film we expected  it to be about a national park and the anti-park controversy that has divided families in northern Maine for nearly twenty years. Over the past year of shooting, we’ve realized this film is not about a national park at all. This is a story rooted in Maine, with national consequences that spark a larger conversation about why people become so divided when confronted with change, and how they might find connection in the end. We feel privileged to be documenting one community as it comes face to face with the issues that are dividing America today. With a discussion about a 90,00 acre spot of land and a tiny no-stoplight town, we find ourselves at ground zero of globalization, anti-government sentiment and the class divide in our country. It is clear that the reductionist viewpoint of “us against them” is at the heart of much of our country’s division. So we’re documenting this story from both sides because we think that picking a side is the problem. Our exclusive access to the philanthropist working to create the park and relationships with local residents allow us an unprecedented ability to reveal the many nuances and emotions connected to this story. We will show the varied perspectives and common humanity in all of the people who care about this region—not just the ones our average viewer thought they might identify with. We believe, especially in light of the 2016 presidential election cycle and conclusion, that our unbiased, curious approach will make our film intriguing to a wider demographic than the usual issue-driven environmental film. We are not only telling our story with genuine respect for both sides of the conflict, but we are also examining the socio-economic reasons that there are two bitterly divided sides in the first place. We hope there are many Americans and others around the world, like ourselves, who yearn for a less polarized citizenship and might glean insight from our film. The Mountain and the Magic City is set against the backdrop of the largest contiguous tract of wilderness in the lower 48, as well as some of the smallest no-stoplight towns nestled in those woods. With stunning imagery and an originally scored soundtrack, the film is a hybrid between a character driven film and an essay film that follows the lives of the people who feel passionately about what the region should be, while also revealing the storied cultural and economic history of the region, and the conflict of identity—industry VS preservation—that it has faced for nearly two centuries, a past all too familiar to the industrial cities in the United States. Verite will be the primary way of revealing compelling characters and conflict. Moments small and large will be captured, and this intimate access will help the audience feel the weight of the national park decision as each character feels it.

KEY CREW

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