Norway's "Troubled Water" Film Screening

Our international film series continues on Tuesday evening, August 9, at 6:30 p.m., with a 2008 film from Norway. One of Norway's rising young actors, Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, gives an outstanding performance as Jan, a musically gifted but troubled young man recently released from prison for a crime he committed as a teenager resulting in the death of a child. The film examines the ripple effects of the child's death and Jan's search for redemption. Also notable among the cast is Denmark's famous Trine Dyrholm as the child's mother.

As one viewer commented to Film Movement's distributors, " WOW! Such a powerful film. This film is truly 'flawless.' Great performances, incredible cinematography... and the music... Beautiful. [Director] Erik Poppe is a true master."

The film is in Norwegian with English subtitles. Co-sponsored by Cloquet's Sons of Norway Heimsyn Lodge, who will be serving refreshments. A discussion guide to the film will be available.

Minnesota's Roadside Geology

Are you planning on driving around the state this summer? Perhaps a trip up the North Shore with a stop at Gooseberry Falls? Your enjoyment of the Arrowhead region's best-known waterfall will be enhanced when you learn that the rushing water is falling over three ancient lava flows. Learn other surprising geological facts about the state, such as why shark's teeth can be found on the Iron Range, where volcanoes were once active in the state, and how the Mississippi River was formed.

Professor emeritus of geology at UMD Richard Ojakangas will talk about Minnesota geological formations on Tuesday evening, July 19, at 6:30 p.m. Ojakangas's most recent book, Roadside Geology of Minnesota, part of the popular "Roadside Geology" series, serves as the basis for his PowerPoint slide presentation.

International Film: Mother of Mine, July 12

“For as long as I’ve lived and worked with films I have wanted to tell the story of war children and the exceptional phenomenon where the totally different histories of the Second World War in Finland and in Sweden converge. Naturally it’s impossible to tell 70,000 unique stories in one film. Through the fictive framework we can, however, capture something universal in the feelings of exclusion and rootlessness that we associate with the experiences of the war children. The themes are strongly relevant to any child who has been separated from his/her parents, to anyone for whom growing up has generally been hard due to the secrets they carry in their heart."
- Klaus Härö, director, Äideistä Parhain ("Mother of Mine").

During World War II, 70,000 Finnish children were sent by their families to live in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia as the Soviet Union prepared to attack Finland. Mother of Mine tells this story in microcosm through the eyes of one boy, whose father is killed on Finland's front line of defense and whose mother sends him to Sweden for safety. His rejection by his Swedish host mother upon his arrival is followed by his own mother's plan to leave him in Sweden. Although reconciliation occurs, the painful experience of the war years marks his reflections on his early life. The film was winner at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Cairo International Film Festival, as well as having screened at the Toronto and Seattle international film festivals.

The film will screen at the library on our 55" Samsung widescreen TV in the large meeting room on Tuesday evening, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. Cloquet's Sons of Norway Heimsyn Lodge is co-sponsoring the screening and will be serving refreshments. Join us early for conversation and refreshments.

Kids' Stuff Presents Dazzling Dave

Dazzling Dave, a full-time professional yo-yo performer, will be at Cloquet Public Library at 1 p.m., Thurs., July 28. Dave is one of 13 officially recognized National Yo-Yo Masters. He has circled the globe since 1998, storming audiences everywhere with his freakish tornado of whirling tricks and tips.

Kids will love his high energy, and his freestyle performance. Each show lasts about 30 to 45 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session. The show is best for school-age children, but younger audiences will enjoy it as well. After the program, Dazzling Dave will have yo-yos for sale.

Check out Dazzling Dave's website: http://www.dazzlingdave.com/index.html

Dazzling Dave is sponsored by Arrowhead Library System Kids' Stuff and the Cloquet Public Library. If you need a sign language interpreter, please contact the Arrowhead Library System two weeks before show.

"Alaska" Filmmaker to Attend July 14 Screening

San Francisco Filmmaker Joan Juster will introduce her film Alaska Far Away at the library on Thursday, July 14, at 6 p.m. The film chronicles the lives of northern Minnesotans and Wisconsinites who pioneered settlement of Alaska’s Matanuska Colony as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" economic recovery program during the Great Depression. It was also one of the largest scale socialist experiments in U.S. history. The film is narrated by television veteran Peter Coyote. Ms. Juster will also introduce a segment from her accompanying film Where the River Matanuska Flows, which shows northern Minnesota's connection with the project through recent interviews. More than 200 struggling farm families were resettled in the region, which ultimately helped fuel the expansion of Palmer, Alaska, home to Republican Sarah Palin. A question-and-answer session will follow the screening. The event is free and open to the public.

African drums travel to the library

Come dance and drum with the Titambe West African Dance Ensemble at 4 p.m., Tues., July 5, at the Cloquet Public Library. The program is free of charge and open to all ages.

A great multi-generational program, performers will teach specific rhythms, dancing and drum techniques, featuring the dress and cultural protocols of West Africa. Between drumming and song, the program will include stories and history about Ghana and other African tribal cultures.

The event is part of the Library’s summer program, “One World, Many Stories,” sponsored by the Arrowhead Library System. For more information, call 879-1531.

International Film Series Debuts Tuesday, June 21

Every year dozens of movies from other countries escape the detection of American audiences. Many of them have won awards from prestigious film festivals around the world. The library is taking steps to address this oversight with its new foreign film series. Once a month, a recent movie will be shown that hasn’t appeared in our local theaters or has been otherwise unavailable.

Our premiere screening is on the first day of summer, Tuesday, June 21, at 6:30 p.m. The film selected is Academy Awarding winning director Jane Campion’s Bright Star, an intimate look at the last three years in the life of English Romantic poet John Keats and his relationship with a young woman of higher social standing, Fanny Brawne. One of the most influential poets of all time, Keats was inspired in his life and art by Fanny, though friends and family on both sides tried to keep them apart. Keats perished from tuberculosis at age 25.

The series continues with the Finnish-Swedish Mother of Mine, scheduled for July 12, and the award-winning Norwegian film Troubled Water, which will screen on August 9. More films are planned for fall.

Movies will be shown on our 55” widescreen Samsung TV in the large meeting room. Join us a few minutes early for coffee and conversation.