Dawson City: Frozen Time
This meditation on cinema’s past from Decasia director Bill Morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a long-lost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from... Read more
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Directed by Bill Morrison
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Writer Bill Morrison
Editor Bill Morrison
Cinematographer Bill Morrison
Produced by Madeleine Molyneaux and Bill Morrison
Composed by Alex Somers
Sound John Somers
This meditation on cinema’s past from Decasia director Bill Morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a long-lost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s. Located just south of the Arctic Circle, Dawson City was settled in 1896 and became the center of the Canadian Gold Rush that brought 100,000 prospectors to the area. It was also the final stop for a distribution chain that sent prints and newsreels to the Yukon. The films were seldom, if ever, returned. The now-famous Dawson City Collection was uncovered in 1978 when a bulldozer working its way through a parking lot dug up a horde of film cans. Morrison draws on these permafrost-protected, rare silent films and newsreels, pairing them with archival footage, interviews, historical photographs, and an enigmatic score by Sigur Rós collaborator and composer Alex Somers. Dawson City: Frozen Time depicts the unique history of this Canadian Gold Rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and salvation.
Reviews
"Critic's Pick! An instantaneously recognizable masterpiece."
"Wondrous, almost indescribable. A complete astonishment from beginning to end."
"Critic's Pick! An orgy for film geeks and history jonesers."
"Bill Morrison's Dawson City: Frozen Time is the best new movie in town and the best movie of the year thus far."
"A bona fide adventure through history, hopscotching across the turn of the 19th century."
"Astonishing. A testament to the potential of art to weather and endure the ravages of time."
"Morrison’s movies feel like half-remembered reveries formed from memories you can no longer consciously recall. Hovering at the intersection of reappropriation, preservation, history, music, and art, any one of his works will haunt you for the rest of your life. Dawson City: Frozen Time is no exception."
"Four stars! A ghost story like you’ve never seen. Riveting, thoughtful and very emotional."
Awards
Best Documentary – Boston Society of Film Critics
Most Innovative Documentary – Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Best Editing – International Documentary Association
On over 75 lists of the best films of 2017, including: New York Times, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Film Comment, Slate, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Chicago Reader, Indiewire, RogerEbert.com, Rotten Tomatoes, POV Magazine, and Slant!
Interested in bringing Dawson City: Frozen Time to your school or library? If you'd like to have an in-class viewing, on-campus screening, or purchase the DVD for your library's collection, please contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880 with your request.
Dawson City: Frozen Time may also be available with Public Performance Rights (PPR) and Digital Site Licensing (DSL) for colleges and universities. To purchase the DVD with PPR or DSL, please contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880. Click here to learn more at Kino Lorber Edu.
To read more about Kino Lorber Edu's terms of use and ordering information, visit Kino Lorber Edu.
| Venue | City | State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Film Archive | Berkeley | CA | 1516510800January 21, 2018 |
| TIFF Bell Lightbox | Toronto | ON | 1511154000November 20, 2017 |
| Key West Film Festival | Key West | FL | 1510981200November 18, 2017 |
| Museum of Modern Art | New York | NY | 1510981200November 18, 2017 |
| Athens Cine | Athens | GA | 1510203600November 9, 2017 |
| Dallas VideoFest | Dallas | TX | 1509854400November 5, 2017 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | Boston | MA | 150950880011/1, 11/5, 11/9, 11/10, 11/16, 11/24 |
| Utah Film Center | Salt Lake City | UT | 1509422400October 31, 2017 |
| State Theatre of Modesto | Modesto | CA | 1509076800October 27 - November 2, 2017 |
| Art Gallery of Hamilton | Hamilton | ON | 1508644800October 22, 2017 |
| Dartmouth College (Hopkins Center) | Hanover | NH | 1508472000October 20, 2017 |
| Art Theatre | Champaign | IL | 1508299200October 18, 2017 |
| Speed Art Museum | Louisville | KY | 1507867200October 13 - October 14, 2017 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Union Theatre) | Milwaukee | WI | 1507867200October 13 - October 14, 2017 |
| Bear Tooth Theatre | Anchorage | AK | 1507521600October 9, 2017 |
| Wisconsin Cinematheque | Madison | WI | 1507348800October 7, 2017 |
| Pickford Center Limelight | Bellingham | WA | 1507262400October 6 - October 12, 2017 |
| Cinecenta – University of Victoria | Victoria | BC | 150683040010/1-10/2, 11/5-11/6 |
| Michigan Theater | Ann Arbor | MI | 1506657600September 29 - October 5, 2017 |
| Cinematheque Quebecois | Montreal | QC | 15066576009/29-10/4, 10/16-10/19 |
| Railroad Square Cinema | Waterville | ME | 1506484800September 27, 2017 |
| PAC Film House | St. Catharines | ON | 1506484800 09/27, 09/29, 10/01 |
| Vancouver International Film Centre | Vancouver | BC | 1506225600September 24, 2017 |
| Honolulu Museum of Art | Honolulu | HI | 15062256009/24, 10/3 |
| Hollywood Theatre | Portland | OR | 1506225600September 24, 2017 |
| UC Riverside ARTSblock | Riverside | CA | 1506052800September 22 - September 23, 2017 |
| Screening Room | Amherst | NY | 15060528009/22, 9/24, 9/25, 9/27 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 15060528009/22, 9/24 |
| Rose Theatre | Port Townsend | WA | 1506052800September 22 - September 29, 2017 |
| Flint Institute of Arts | Flint | MI | 1505966400September 21 - September 23, 2017 |
| The Music Hall | Portsmouth | NH | 1505880000September 20, 2017 |
| Dietrich Theatre | Tunkhannock | PA | 15058800009/20, 9/26, 10/3 |
| National Gallery of Art | Washington | DC | 1505620800September 17, 2017 |
| Aperture Cinema | Winston Salem | NC | 1505620800September 17, 2017 |
| Miami Beach Cinematheque | Miami Beach | FL | 1505448000September 15 - September 22, 2017 |
| Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 15054480009/15-16, 9/19-20 |
| Northwest Film Center | Portland | OR | 1505448000September 15 - September 16, 2017 |
| International Film Series - Univ of Colorado, Boulder | Boulder | CO | 1505275200September 13, 2017 |
| Austin Film Society | Austin | TX | 15050160009/10, 9/11, 9/13 |
| Anchorage Museum | Anchorage | AK | 1504670400September 6, 2017 |
| All Saints Cinema/Tallahassee Film Society | Tallahassee | FL | 15043248009/2-4, 9/10 |
| Arena Cinelounge | Los Angeles | CA | 1504238400September 1 - September 14, 2017 |
| Cornell Cinema | Ithaca | NY | 15042384009/1 & 9/5 |
| Gateway Film Center | Columbus | OH | 1504238400September 1 - September 7, 2017 |
| Time & Space Limited | Hudson | NY | 15041520008/31, 9/1-3, 9/9-10, 9/16-17 |
| Hollywood Theatre | Portland | OR | 1504065600August 30, 2017 |
| Capitol Theatre - Olympia | Olympia | WA | 15037200008/26-27, 8/28-31 |
| Sonoma Film Institute | Rohnert Park | CA | 15036336008/25, 8/27 |
| Sie Film Center | Denver | CO | 1503633600August 25 - August 31, 2017 |
| The Picture House | Pelham | NY | 1503633600August 25 - August 31, 2017 |
| Hollywood Theater - Dormont | Pittsburgh | PA | 1503633600August 25 - August 29, 2017 |
| Magic Lantern Theatre | Spokane | WA | 1503633600August 25 - September 7, 2017 |
| Phi Centre | Montreal | Quebec | 15035472008/24, 8/26 |
| Grand Cinema Tacoma | Tacoma | WA | 1503374400August 22, 2017 |
| Enzian Theatre | Maitland | FL | 1503201600August 20, 2017 |
| Sun-Ray Cinema | Jacksonville | FL | 1503028800August 18 - August 24, 2017 |
| Museum of the Moving Image | Astoria | NY | 1503028800August 18 - August 20, 2017 |
| Kingsway | Toronto | ON | 1503028800August 18 - August 31, 2017 |
| Space Gallery | Portland | ME | 1502683200August 14, 2017 |
| Screening Room - Kingston | Kingston | ON | 15026832008/14, 8/16 |
| Fox Theatre | Toronto | ON | 15026832008/14, 8/16 |
| The Moviehouse | Millerton | NY | 1502424000August 11 - August 17, 2017 |
| Belcourt Theatre | Nashville | TN | 1502424000August 11 - August 17, 2017 |
| Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | WA | 1502424000August 11 - August 13, 2017 |
| Rome Capitol Theater | Rome | NY | 1502337600August 10 - August 14, 2017 |
| The Bookshelf | Guelph | ON | 1501905600August 5 - August 8, 2017 |
| Palm Theatre | San Luis Obispo | CA | 1501819200August 4 - August 24, 2017 |
| Oklahoma City Museum of Art | Oklahoma City | OK | 1501819200August 4 - August 6, 2017 |
| Mayfair | Ottawa | ON | 1501819200August 4 - August 15, 2017 |
| Cleveland Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 15017328008/3, 8/6 |
| The Princess | Waterloo | ON | 1501732800August 3 - August 6, 2017 |
| Boedecker Theater @ Dairy Arts Center | Boulder | CO | 1501646400August 2 - August 5, 2017 |
| Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers | Yonkers | NY | 1501646400August 2, 2017 |
| Metro Cinema | Edmonton | AB | 1501214400July 28 - August 3, 2017 |
| Bytowne Cinema | Ottawa | ON | 1501214400July 28 - August 1, 2017 |
| Fredonia Opera House | Fredonia | NY | 1501128000July 27, 2017 |
| Revue | Toronto | ON | 15008688007/24, 7/25, 7/27, 8/15-16 |
| Vancouver International Film Centre | Vancouver | BC | 1500609600July 21 - July 27, 2017 |
| Parkway Theatre | Baltimore | MD | 1500609600July 21 - July 27, 2017 |
| Wexner Center for the Arts | Columbus | OH | 1500609600July 21 - July 22, 2017 |
| Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema | Toronto | ON | 15006096007/21-7/27, 8/6, 8/9, 8/30 |
| Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1500004800July 14 - July 27, 2017 |
| Cinema505 | Montclair | NJ | 1500004800July 14 - July 16, 2017 |
| International House | Philadelphia | PA | 1500004800July 14, 2017 |
| Laemmle Fine Arts | Los Angeles | CA | 1499400000July 7 - July 20, 2017 |
| Laemmle Claremont 5 | Claremont | CA | 1498881600July 1 - July 16, 2017 |
| Laemmle Playhouse 7 | Pasadena | CA | 1498795200June 30 - July 23, 2017 |
| IFC Center | New York | NY | 1496980800June 9 - July 20, 2017 |
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