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The Great Flood

THU - SAT, AUG 21 – 23 / 9 pm
SUN, AUG 24 / 7 pm
Directed by Bill Morrison
2012, USA, 80 min

The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in American history, cited as the Hurricane Katrina of its day. The shared legacy of this disaster was the displacement of sharecroppers to the northern cities of Memphis, Detroit and Chicago, fueling the evolution of acoustic blues to electric blues.

Experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison (Decasia) scoured film archives across the United States and discovered beautiful monochromatic footage of the flood which he reassembled in an amazing experimental montage of the disaster – this wordless, experimental portrait is an ode to a forgotten time and place. The stunning new music score with its hints of blues, gospel and jazz by guitarist composer Bill Frisell brings out the tragedy and heroism of the event. Please note this is an experimental documentary with no voiceover narration but the footage is stunning.

Reviews

Hypnotic, playful, wildly evocative… masterfully assembled; A terrific achievement.” —
L.A. TIMES
Its soundtrack, composed and performed by esteemed jazz guitarist Bill Frisell... is mesmerizing, especially when paired with apocalyptic images of water rushing through the remains of small towns.
- THE DISSOLVE
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ABOUT US

The Winnipeg Film Group is an artist-run education, production, exhibition and distribution centre committed to promoting the art of cinema.
our location

We’re located in the heart of Winnipeg's historic Exchange District in the Artspace building. We are across the street from Old Market Square at the corner of Arthur Street and Bannatyne - one block west of Main.

The Winnipeg Film Group is located on Treaty 1 Territory and on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples and in the homeland of the Métis Nation. We offer our respect and gratitude to the traditional caretakers of this land.

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