Columbus Day Legacy
Price: $120.00
Winner of the Special Jury Award for Bridging Cultures; awarded by the 2011 Arizona International Film Festival
Columbus Day Legacy explores the quintessential American issues of free speech and ethnic pride against the backdrop of the ongoing Columbus Day parade controversy in Denver, Colorado. More »
Program Length: 27 minutes
Production Staff: Director: Bennie Klain (Navajo); Producer: Leighton C. Peterson
Production Company: Trickster Films
The Website for Columbus Day Legacy
Educational Resources:
Viewer Discussion Guide (PDF)
Battles and Massacres Map and Timeline (Flash)
Format: DVD
Public Broadcast Release: March 2011
Congrats to Director Bennie Klain and Producer Leighton C. Peterson of the film Columbus Day Legacy on the fantastic review in the July/August issue of Video Librarian. Receiving 3 out of 4 stars, the article said, "Klain, a Navajo filmmaker, does a fine job capturing the stridency surrounding the situation, interweaving footage of the parade and the protesters together with balanced interviews from both sides."
Columbus Day Legacy explores the quintessential American issues of free speech and ethnic pride against the backdrop of the ongoing Columbus Day parade controversy in Denver, Colorado. Navajo filmmaker Bennie Klain takes viewers into this very personal yet very public conflict, asking tough questions about identity and history in America.
Since 1992, the Denver Italian-American community has proudly and publicly celebrated Columbus Day with a revived parade--long a part of the city's history--much to the dismay of the local American Indian Movement chapter who are equally determined to vilify the man credited with "discovering" America. The history of this annual parade is peppered with both verbal and physical violence, challenging ideas of political correctness and freedom of assembly. Both the Italian- and Native Americans are strong, vibrant, tight-knit communities--a point conveyed by the film as it uncovers conflicting notions of the freedom of speech, the interpretation of history and what it means to be an "American."
Tags: Columbus, Colorado, Denver, History, Parade, America, Italian, Native American
Product ID: CODL-11-E
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