Controversy over a proposed iron mine in northern Wisconsin will get some national attention this weekend, when a documentary on the topic airs on Al Jazeera America’s investigative program Fault Lines.
Milwaukee-based 371 Productions filmed and edited the piece over the past nine months.
Producers made a series of trips to northern Wisconsin to look at the impact an iron mine could have on tourism and natural resources.
Producer Devon Cupery says one of the most important aspects of the film is hearing from residents in Iron and Ashland counties and on the Bad River Reservation.
“What strikes me is the passion you hear from the local people," she said. "We talked to people who both oppose the mine and support it, and that shows so much caring about the future of their communities.”
Filmmakers also bring a critical eye to the legislative process leading up to the passage of Wisconsin’s ferrous mining bill, and at the outside money involved in this year’s Iron County board elections. Cupery said it raises important questions about the state of democracy in Wisconsin. “And it’s an opportunity for people to question – should a corporation be able to write its own laws for a potentially dangerous project?” she said.
The 25-minute film airs on Al Jazeera’s program Fault Lines, this Saturday June 14th at 6 pm on Time Warner Cable Channel 736, Direct TV Channel 347, and Dish Network 215.
Cupery says producers will also hold screenings in northern Wisconsin and around the state this summer and fall.
