Independent voices

Film society wants viewers to open minds to new ideas

By Savannah Cummings, Journal staff | Monday, December 01, 2008

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In four years, the Voices of the Heartland Independent Film Series has grown from a group of friends watching DVDs in someone’s living room to an average of 80 people attending the monthly film showings at the Elks Theatre on Sixth Street in Rapid City.

The group began casually in 2003, around the same time as the war in Iraq, said Don Kelley, who helps organize the group with his wife, Kim. It was a group of friends who met in parks around Rapid City and talked about political issues. Soon they started meeting in living rooms and watching movies, primarily about politic topics, but Kelley said the topics quickly expanded.

“It began to broaden after a while to other topics that were just stimulating, thought-provoking,” he said.

Interest in the club was enough that people suggested showing commercial films in a local theater, and Voices of the Heartland was born.

The nonprofit group will be showing its 46th film this month, “10 Questions for the Dalai Lama.” The group focuses primarily on showing independent films that haven’t been making the rounds of the commercial circuit, he said.

“We try to balance among (films) that are pretty topical, dealing with political issues, etc., as well as films that are just artistically really well done,” Kelley said.

This year, Heartland created a film selection committee, made up of 12 members who help decide which films will be shown. The group usually plans six months in advance.

Heartland gets ideas for films by searching online at sites such as the Internet Movie Database and Netflix, and from member knowledge, Kelley said.

A major goal of the series is to encourage debate, so after each film, the group sponsors a discussion at the theater. Members try to find a moderator who has some expertise in the topic, and who can keep the conversation from getting too heated, he said.

“With our discussions, we really make an effort to keep the discussion completely neutral,” he said. “We try not to be proponents of a particular agenda. All respectful comments are certainly welcome.”

The format has worked, even for the group’s most controversial topics, including films they’ve shown about abortion rights and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Everyone is welcome to participate in the discussions, Kelley said, although only about one-third of the audience usually stays.

Miguel Apaza, who works on the group’s Web site and is a member of the selection committee, said the discussion portion is very important, as is the noncommercial nature of the films. He was first introduced to independent and foreign films about 20 years ago when a friend brought some back from a trip to Europe.

“I think it’s very refreshing, especially for the American culture,” he said. “(The films) invite us to expand our thinking a little bit.”

Apaza uses his intuition to select films, trying to get a sense of each piece from the cover art and the trailers. Usually at least one person in the group has seen the film when it is suggested.

“Mostly (I choose) films that I see as wild in terms of its themes … movies that are conducive to thought and introspective thought, that encourage personal growth,” he said.”

Through the years, Kelley said, the most popular film shown was “Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion,” which they presented in July 2006. The least popular was called “Three Needles” and dealt with AIDS victims. While there is a group of about 80 regulars who come to the films, they’ve had up to 300 attendees.

The audience is mostly made up of adults, Kelley said, although for “Fahrenheit 451,” which was shown in conjunction with the Rapid City Public Library, high school students who were studying the book by Ray Bradbury came to the film.

The $5 ticket price covers the rental of the theater and the cost to purchase rights to show the film.

Finding films to show has gotten easier in recent years with the increased interest in independent films.

“What we’re trying to do is just provide an alternative,” Kelley said. “We’re inspired by the fact that there’s many good and original films being produced now days.”

But most important is that audience members leave the theater with a deeper understanding of the topic.

“It seems to us that movies can do more than just entertain,” he said. “We think that it’s a medium that can provide new insights and broaden horizons – kind of enable people to appreciate other cultures, inspire artistic sense, motivate people for change.”

Apaza agreed with the group’s mission.

“We get other points of view, so we can be exposed to other perspectives,” he said of the reason to come to the movies. “So we can challenge ourselves personally.”

For more information about Voices of the Heartland, go to http://voicesfilms.org.

About this month’s film

In “10 Questions for the Dalai Lama,” filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray asks the Dalai Lama such questions as: How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? Ray also weaves together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East with the wisdom of the spiritual leader.

If you go

What: “10 Questions for the Dalai Lama”

When: 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24

Where: The Elks Theatre, downtown Rapid City

Tickets for the film are $5 and can be bought at the door. A discussion will follow. For information, go to http://voicesfilms.org

Contact Savannah Cummings at 394-8434 or savannah.cummings@rapidcityjournal.com.