Free Land
Minda Martin
- USA
- 2010
- Runtime: 62 minutes
US Premiere
Minda’s family needs a home. Along the highway to Tucson, six-year-old Minda spots a billboard promising “Free Land.” Could this solve her family’s problem?
The narration is a braid of three prominent strands: the transient lives of Minda’s parents, the experiences of her American Indian ancestors and 19th century American expansionism.
An intricately-structured collage, the movie draws on historical sources to frame a personal story in its socio-economic and historical context. The complexity of the subject -- the roots of a seemingly rootless population -- is subtly underscored by the use of technical devices such as image overlays, unexpected camera angles, mirror reflections and blurry, colorized older film footage.
A native of Tucson, director/producer Minda Martin has a B.A. from University of Arizona and an MFA in film/video production from California Institute of the Arts. Her previous work explores social inequality issues. Currently, she is employed in the Department of Communication at California State University.
Credits
Producer: Minda MartinWriter: Minda Martin
Cinematographer: Minda Martin
Editor: Minda Martin
Sound Design: Theron Patterson/Minda Martin
Music Score: Dave Hurley, Kristofer Towne & Mike Hams
Cast Members: Judy Bauerlein as Minda's ancestor, Cordelia Taylor Joan Westmoreland as Minda's ancestor, Mary Taylor Minda as herself Minda's father as himself
Additional Credits: Associate Producer: Lauren Berliner