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Historical Film to be shown in Columbus
August 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
It began as a tickle in the throat, then led to crushing fatigue. Inflammation of the lungs and difficulty breathing followed. At first Montanans were not alarmed; seasonal viruses were as common as blizzards and chinooks. But this was different; the 1918 influenza killed more Americans than World Wars I and II combined.
Six Montanans tell their stories: How did they survive this terrifying public health crisis? Explore the pandemic through the eyes of a white youth in a railroad town, an Army nurse, a Blackfeet couple, a Finnish rancher, a Crow law school graduate, and an African-American entrepreneur. What can they tell us about fear and loss, courage, and community?
Voiceovers in this film are drawn directly from oral histories, letters, diaries, and newspapers. Period images and music recall the times. Montana landscapes and places remind us that this was home, that this was us.
One of the subjects in the film is Mary Frances Garrigus who was the first native American woman to graduate from the Law School at the University of Montana in 1918. Born in Stillwater (Columbus) in 1891, Frances went to school in Absarokee and Columbus.
Another subject of the film is a relative of the Museum of the Beartooths Director, Penny Redli. Penny’s great aunt Jenny and Sadie both passed away from the influenza within days apart. Footage for this subject was filmed in the Museum of the Beartooths kitchen exhibit which was a perfect location for the 1918 footage.
This newly released documentary film will be shown, free to the public, in Columbus at the Palladium Draughthaus at 7 pm on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. This film was directed and produced by Dee Garceau, with generous support from the Montana Film Office, Humanities Montana, Treasure State Studios, and the Greater Montana Foundation.
Click on the link below to watch the trailer.
