Mainers’ movie gets shot at Oscar Film distributors head to Hollywood

Co-owners of Shadow Distribution, a Waterville-based film distributor, are off to Hollywood, where their movie has a shot at winning an Academy Award on Feb. 29.

Shadow Distribution purchased “The Weather Underground” – a documentary about the ultra-radical Weathermen, who rebelled against the Vietnam War by going underground in the ’60s and ’70s – after the movie was well-received at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Ken Eisen, co-owner of Shadow and founder of Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville, says the company has not yet been informed officially that “The Weather Underground” has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

“I found out we were nominated by scouring the Internet the morning the nominations were released,” Eisen said last weekend. “The Academy has never officially notified us.”

Directed by Sam Green and Bill Siegel, “The Weather Underground” is a searing examination of the Weathermen, who waged a campaign of violence by “bringing the war home” in the United States. Intercutting historical footage with a series of revealing interviews, the movie finds the Weathermen now living above ground in middle-age, with filmmakers Green and Siegel mining smashing connections to the recent terrorist activities in the process.

“The film forces contemplation of the meaning of the word ‘terrorism,'” says Eisen, a former film critic. “As is the case with many great movies, we’ve found that the film means many things to many people.”

“For some, it’s a clear-cut condemnation of any form of violence, including to property,” he said. “For others, it’s an important reminder of a time when the world truly seemed on the verge of major change, change that was essential. We thought the story was amazingly timely, as well as one of the best films about the ’60s and ’70s ever made.”

Eisen will attend the 76th Academy Awards with Shadow co-founder Alan Sanborn. Joining them will be Lea Girardin, Director of the Maine Film Office, and screenwriter Beth Eisen, both of whom are involved with Shadow. At the Awards, “Underground” will go up against four heavyweights: Carlos Bosch and Josep Maria Domenech’s “Balseros,” Nathaniel Kahn and Susan R. Behr’s “My Architect,” Errol Morris and Michael Williams’ “The Fog of War” and Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling’s “Capturing the Friedmans.”

Though the momentum is behind “The Fog of War” and “Capturing the Friedmans,” the chances are nevertheless there for “Underground” to score an upset.

“The documentary competition is unusual,” Eisen said. “Only those who have seen all five nominated movies are eligible to vote, so it’s a category voted on by a relatively small number of people. That means anything’s possible.

“It’s a strong group,” he said of the nominees, “with each of the films having a theatrical release and several having had relatively widespread distribution. [‘Underground’] has had a very successful life in theaters around the country, where it’s been playing since June 2003. The nomination has definitely rekindled interest in it.”

Eisen and Girardin founded Shadow Distribution in 1987 when they distributed the Canadian canoeing feature, “Waterwalker.” In 1994, Shadow reorganized, recapitalized and started in earnest. That year, it scored its biggest success to date with “Latcho Drom,” a Gypsy music film.

Each year, the company specializes in bringing attention to a small number of foreign and American independent films. It is run by the founders of Railroad Square Cinema, with the bulk of the work done by Eisen, Alan Sanborn and Sam Sanborn.

Thus far, Shadow has distributed 13 films, including the well-received “Hukkle,” “Lost Boys of Sudan,” “Under the Sun” and “Carla’s Song.”

For people interested in seeing “The Weather Underground,” Railroad Square Cinema will show the film again sometime in March or early April. A DVD release of the film is expected in May.

Christopher Smith’s film reviews appear Mondays and Fridays in the Bangor Daily News’ Style section, 5:30 p.m. Thursdays on WLBZ 2 and WCSH 6, and are archived at RottenTomatoes.com. He can be reached at BDNFilm1@aol.com.