Movies are shown in Westminster Hall at the McKinley Foundation. Westminster is located on the 2nd floor and may be accessed by elevator. Free and open to the public.
January 28: Storm Lake
The McKinley Foundation Film Committee will screen the Independent Lens documentary Storm Lake on Friday, January 28 at 7:30 PM in Westminster Hall at the McKinley Foundation building. Conversation will follow the screening of Storm Lake, facilitated by Nikki Usher.
About the film: Dark clouds hang over the cornfields of Storm Lake, Iowa, which has seen its fair share of change in the 40 years since Big Agriculture came to town. Farmers blow their life savings on new equipment they hope will keep their livelihoods intact. Migrant workers flock here—welcome and not—for their slice of the American Dream. The people of Storm Lake confront a changing and precarious existence. Enter: Art Cullen and his family members who deliver local news and editorials on a shoestring budget for their 3,000 readers. This paper means a fighting chance for their beloved hometown, and by hook or by crook, they’ll make the most of it. There’s simply too much at stake.
About the presenter: Nikki Usher, PhD, is an associate professor at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the College of Media’s Journalism Department (with affiliate appointments in the Communication and Political Science). Her research focuses on news production in the changing digital environment, blending insights from media sociology and political communication.