First TV Broadcast of 1913 Massacre Film

Woody Guthrie’s song “1913 Massacre” served as the inspiration for the film of the same name. The film 1913 Massacre will have its television debut on Labor Day weekend 2013.

The film 1913 Massacre will air on Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) over the 2013 Labor Day holiday.  This will be the first television broadcast of the film.  It will be shown on tpt Channel 2.1: Monday, September 2nd, at 11:00PM and Tuesday, September 3rd at 5:00AM.  It will also be on the Minnesota Channel (locally tptMN Channel 2.2): Monday at 12:00am, 6:00AM, 12:00PM, and 6:00PM.  The online program listing is available here. If you are in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, please tune in. If you don’t live in the Twin Cities region but have friends or family in the area, please let them know!

Inspired by Woody Guthrie’s song “1913 Massacre,” the film follows Woody’s son, singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, to Calumet, a once-thriving copper mining community with a vibrant and tragic past.  The film reconstructs Calumet’s early twentieth century history through oral history, individual memories, and family lore. The film traces the legacy of the events at Italian Hall up to the present day and pays particular attention to the controversial nature of how the tragedy is remembered by the community. 1913 Massacre has toured at many film festivals and labor conferences. This first TV broadcast helps actualize the filmmakers hope to bring the film to television audiences to mark the 100th anniversary of the Italian Hall disaster. For more information on the film please visit www.1913massacre.com.