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'Girl From God's Country' to air on Idaho PTV |
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October 27, 2017 |
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Nell Shipman — silent film writer, director and
star — came to Idaho’s Priest Lake from
Hollywood in 1922 with her 10-year-old son, her
ill-fated lover-producer, a future Academy
Award-winning cinematographer, Joseph Walker,
and a personal zoo of 70 animal actors that
included bobcats, bears, elk, eagles, deer and
sled dogs.
She was the first of her kind: a female
independent filmmaker who refuted Hollywood’s
mistreatment of animals and refused the assured
trappings of a studio contract to instead
produce her own films on location in the Idaho
wilderness.
Emblematic of an entire lost generation of
female producers and directors in silent film,
Nell Shipman’s legacy has remained a buried
treasure in film history for nearly 100 years —
until now.
A documentary by filmmaker Karen Day and an
all-female crew from Idaho, "Girl From God’s
Country," which will air on Idaho Public
Television at 8 p.m. Friday, November 3, tells
the story of this unrelenting, unrepentant
artistic talent and self-reliant film pioneer.
“As female filmmakers in Idaho, Nell Shipman and
my all-female crew are exceptions to the norm,
even in Hollywood today,” said filmmaker Karen
Day. “It’s wonderful that IdahoPTV supports our
artistic efforts by sharing the amazing story of
this Gem State pioneer of gender equality.”
The documentary focuses on the unorthodox genius
and gutsy “sourdough” spirit that fueled Nell’s
creativity and infused her work with
unmistakable passion.
Rare audio interviews with Priest Lake locals
who knew Nell reveal the forgotten star’s
struggles with sub-zero winters and murderous
neighbors. But Idaho’s rugged beauty offered
more than challenges. Nell used the wilderness
as a huge creative canvas and our film also
explores how these same wide open spaces have
served the artistic vision of residents like
Hemingway, Clint Eastwood and Carole King.
Read more about the remarkable life of Nell
Shipman and the efforts to restore her forgotten
and brilliant body of work
here. |
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