Winona State University and the Frozen River Film Festival will present two screenings of the documentary film “Bidder 70.”
The screenings will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in Science Laboratory Center 120 and at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, in Somsen Auditorium.
“Bidder 70” is a feature-length documentary that chronicles how one man’s act of civil disobedience blazed a new trail in the climate justice movement. At a time when the debate over climate change is finally gaining post-election “steam,” when hot-button topics such as fracking and the Keystone XL Pipeline have captured the country’s attention, “Bidder 70” is poised to showcase the face and voice of a movement that has been steadily gathering force, comprised of people who have grave concerns over both our present and our future.
In 2008, University of Utah economics student Tim DeChristopher disrupted a Bureau of Land Management auction of pristine Utah land surrounding national parks by outbidding other attendees, effectively preserving thousands of acres slated for lease to oil and gas industry giants. Although incoming Interior Secretary Ken Salazar subsequently invalidated the auction, DeChristopher was indicted on two felony counts and, following lengthy postponements, was sentenced in 2011 to two years in federal prison.
DeChristopher is scheduled to be released from prison April 21. The April 22 screening of “Bidder 70” will be followed by a live online discussion with DeChristopher.
The event is free and open to the public.
The full version of this release can be found at: http://wp.me/p2b5nQ-VN.
For more information, call Arthur Hawkins at 507-457-5390, email AHawkins@winona.edu.
