This meditation on cinemas past from pieces together the. Frozen time, a documentary which is rich with knowledge but never didactic. Bill morrisons new film is a history in still and moving images charting the transformation of the trondek hwechin fishing camp at the confluence of the yukon and klondike rivers, into the epicenter of the yukon gold rush at the turn of the last century. Frozen time, morrison walks viewers through the history of the media and of an otherwise, inaccessible place and time. Dawson city was settled in 1896the same year largescale cinema projectors were inventedand became the center of the klondike gold rush that brought 100,000 prospectors to the area.
Frozen time revels in the silent era national post. Located just south of the arctic circle, dawson city was settled in 1896 and became the center of the canadian gold rush that brought 100, 000 prospectors to the area. Frozen time may also be available with public performance rights ppr and digital site licensing. Jun 09, 2017 in 1978, a longburied stash of hundreds of silent movies and newsreels was discovered in dawson city, canada, deep in the yukon territory. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost. A more evocatively poetic title, say gold and silver, might suggest the extraordinary double helix of north american history and movie lore that. Frozen time is an exploration of the complicated history of the town as told through clips and still shots from the films salvaged from the tundra. When dawson city swelled to more than 40,000 inhabitants in a matter. Frozen time is a 2016 american documentary film written, edited and directed by bill morrison and produced by morrison and madeleine. This bizarre and fascinating film essay chronicles how hundreds of silent films from the early 1900s were discovered frozen and buried in dawson city, yukon, dug up by a bulldozer in 1978. The nowfamous dawson city collection was uncovered in 1978 when a bulldozer working its way through a parking lot dug up a hoard of film cans. By 1978, dawson was a sleepy town of less than a thousand people until another discovery revived interest in the area, and that is what brings us to bill morrisons featurelength documentary film, dawson city. As morrison stitches together still and moving images that laid dormant in the belly of the earth, just south of the arctic. Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile.
For those unaware about dawson city and its connection to film and film history, dawson city. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s. Jun 08, 2017 so its a bit of a shock that dawson city. Frozen times most intense quality is its richness, both visually and historically. Frozen time could have benefited from judicious trimming of its twohour running time, and there are times when its wandering focus proves irritating.
The first has to do with the accidental discovery of 35mm film reels buried in the yukon over one hundred years ago and miraculously preserved by the permafrost. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Oct 02, 2016 video archive for the film dawson city. Staring chris mad dog russo, bill ofarrell, sam kula and michael gates.
Frozen time, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2016. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle. Frozen time bill morrisons new work strings together incredible footage, long buried under an old yukon ice rink. Frozen time is a rather clunky and uninspiring title for a film thats both revelatory and deeply fascinating. Please allow 12 business days for order processing. Discovered buried under a hockey rink in a former klondike gold rush town, their story reveals the links between the movie business and manifest destiny in north america. It was screened in the orizzonti competition section at the 73rd venice international film festival. Kathy jonesgates, michael gates, sam kula, bill morrison. Its population was 1,375 as of the 2016 census, making it the second largest town of yukon. Jul 21, 2017 dawson city tracks the true history of over 500 film reels from the 191020s that were lost for over 50 years until they were discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in yukon territory.
So, the best time to visit dawson is between the months of may to late august. The true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south. Screening of bill morrisons most recent work, dawson city. In discussing the history of film, canada often gets overlooked. Born in kallstadt, in the kingdom of bavaria now in rhinelandpalatinate, germany, he immigrated to the united states at the age of 16 and started working as a barber. Booklet essays by lawrence weschler and alberto zambenedetti interview with filmmaker bill morrison. Frozen time is a snapshot in time of a people thinking big and taking risks, some sadly at the expense of those who had lived there for thousands of years. Frozen time is a oneofakind curio of a movie that captures, through a collage of photographs, silent documentary footage, and pretalkie hollywood film, the story of a. Frozen time begins with a brightly colored, completely intact clip from a television show about baseball in which mr. Frozen time on bluray 738329225476 from kino lorber. In some cities it is necessary to have a parking sticker for mobile onstreet parking clearly visible from outside of the vehicle. Fashioned mainly from a cache of old films found frozen and forgotten in the once booming goldrust outpost in the yukon, the story of the town and cinema history unfold through. Booklet essays by lawrence weschler and alberto zambenedetti interview with filmmaker bill morrison postscript trailer. Frozen time is a 2016 american documentary film written, edited and directed by bill morrison and produced by morrison and madeleine molyneaux.
Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints dating from the early 1900s. Frozen time, a feature length film by bill morrison u. Frozen time does an impeccable job at getting you caught up quickly, with tons of information, and without making you ever feel overloaded. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350. Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and. From this mass of footage, much of it damaged and all of. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true story of a collection of some 500 silent films. Located just south of the arctic circle, dawson city was settled in 1896 and became the center of the canadian gold rush that brought 100,000 prospectors to the area. This is that period of time when between august through september when foliage turns red and orange with fall colours. Frozen time is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Dawson city is a haunting experience that takes place in suspended, nonlinear time. Booklet essays by lawrence weschler and alberto zambenedetti interview with filmmaker bill morrison postscript.
In 1978, a longburied stash of hundreds of silent movies and newsreels was discovered in dawson city, canada, deep in the yukon territory. This is local history told through newsreel, archival footage, newspaper clippings and administrative records. Propelled by alex somers transcendent score, dawson city. But beyond that, i think it is fundamentally about the beauty of the study of history.
Like his elegant decasia 2002 and the great flood 2012, dawson city is a hypnotic mashup of narrative cinema filtered through bill morrisons fascination with the history of decomposing nitrate celluloid. Nearly four decades ago, a treasure trove of film from the early 20th century was found, underneath a hockey rink, in the remote canadian town of dawson city. It is inseparably linked to the klondike gold rush 189699. The shipping cost of machines vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, humidifiers, purifiers, hair dryers, and lighting is free of charge when ordering on dyson. Feb 27, 2018 there are a thousand and one facts to be learned in dawson city. Using archival footage to tell the story, dawson city. Culture centuryold film treasure unearthed in dawson city. Frozen time will screen as part of the spotlight on documentary section of the 54th new york film festival september 30 oct. Frozen time is a dazzling cinematic experience, a deep dive into the connections and contradictions of the 20th century archive.
Frozen time, lawrence weschler dives into how and why the dawson city archive came to be. Frozen time has been called a film lovers documentary. Frozen time is a documentary that is equal parts history of the late nineteenthcentury klondike gold rush, exploration of the early film industry, and exhibition of a major silvernitrate silent movie horde discovered buried in an old swimming pool in dawson city. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle. But when you dig deeper than surfacelevel hollywood selfmythologizing, you discover the country has always played a pivotal role in the development of the medium. In 1978 while digging up an old lot, an excavator discovered a virtual treasure trove of film cans, reels, and. The confluence of a gold rush in the yukon and the birth of cinema in the waning days of the 19th century form the basis for this masterful, revelatory film, which uses film footage that was long feared lost to tell these interconnecting stories. In anticipation of bill morrisons new documentary, dawson city. The buried history of a gold rush town found on nitrate film.
In these cities only cars with a parking sticker will be checked for a valid parking action. Frozen time is the everrare project bold enough to reach far in the interest of uniquely weaving the disparate threads of lifes experiences. Frozen sky 2011 a desperate woman tries to find help for her son, who has great mathematic ability but a profound problem developing social skills. This area had long been a seasonal hunting ground for the trondek hwechin tribe, important because of its location at the confluence of the klondike and yukon rivers. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Event in toronto, on, canada by hot docs ted rogers cinema and kino lorber on friday, july 21 2017 with 179 people interested and 64 people going.
Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in. To attempt to describe it as a documentary is to limit the extent of its creativity. Frozen time, tells the story of the exciting excavation of 533 nitrate film prints and newsreels, as well as photographic plates found amidst the frozen permafrost of northwest canada. Werkstattgesprach mit bill morrison zu dawson city. Playlist 75 songs all your favorite disney songs past and present and featuring songs from frozen ii including into the unknown performed by idina menzel, the next right thing performed by kristin bell and when i am older performed by josh gad. Dawson city, officially the town of the city of dawson, is a town in the canadian territory of yukon. Frozen time 2016 drifts through the past with bittersweet grace. Dating from the 1910s and 20s, they were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. Frozen time makes a gargantuan effort to reinvigorate that memory, giving us a vivid account of.
Soon after, the city became the final stop for a distribution chain that sent prints and newsreels to. It is a reminder of an age that has passed, but one whose ramifications have not. It was also the final stop for a distribution chain that sent prints and newsreels to the yukon. Valkoinen kaupunki is a 2006 finnish drama film directed by aku louhimies. Frozen time includes the story of how a cache of silent film. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. The documentary offers a unique perspective both on the eponymous canadian gold rush town and the shifting economics of film distribution. Frozen time bill morrison decasia, the great flood pieces together the bizarre history of a collection of 500 films from the 1910s and 20s, lost until they were unearthed from a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. It concerns the history of dawson city, canada, deep in the yukon, from its creation. A thrilling adventure through american history, dawson city. So much more than just a lesson in dawson citys own history, and extending further still than.