Eight-Part Series Directed By Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker Brett Morgen
Filmed In Watersmeet, Michigan
"Nimrod Nation," an original 8-part documentary series providing a portrait of a small town obsessed with its high school basketball team will premiere as a special Monday DOCday series on Sundance Channel with two episodes airing every Monday night beginning at 9:00pm from November 26th - December 17th, 2007. Conceived by Oscar-nominated director Brett Morgen (Chicago 10, The Kid Stays in the Picture; On The Ropes), and executive produced by Morgen, Kevin Proudfoot (Weiden + Kennedy) and Adam Pincus, "Nimrod Nation" was filmed in the remote town of Watersmeet, Michigan, where life converges around two things: hunting and high school basketball. The series is produced in association with Fremantle International Distribution, Weiden + Kennedy Entertainment and Public Road Productions. Lynne Kirby is executive producer for Sundance Channel.
"Nimrod Nation" unfolds during the 2005-2006 season of Watersmeet's high school basketball team, the Nimrods. Housed in Watersmeet's school, which serves grades K-12, the Nimrods are the pride and joy of the small hamlet in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The team mascot, the Nimrod - a Biblical derivative for "hunter" - symbolizes the character and traditions of this rugged town surrounded by forests, rivers and lakes. Watersmeet residents are raised to be outdoorsmen; hunting, fishing and sport-shooting are year-round activities, despite the long winters of snowstorms and subzero temperatures. But the town's remoteness does not mean it is isolated from 21st Century social, cultural and political currents. As in high schools across the country, teenage pregnancies are not uncommon, nor is drug and alcohol use. Although there is often tension between the Anglo population and the Native Americans who live on the Potawatomi Indian Reservation and the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation the entire community comes together to support the basketball team. "Nimrod Nation" takes in both the unique and universal details of life in Watersmeet, moving from the basketball court to the family kitchen, from local watering hole to snowy vista, to deliver a richly textured portrait of a quintessential American town.
"Though the main focus of 'Nimrod Nation' is on the high school basketball team," said Laura Michalchyshyn, Executive Vice President and GM Programming and Creative Affairs, Sundance Channel, "the series provides a riveting narrative that delves deeply into issues of identity and culture. Watersmeet, like many towns, is anything but typical, and Brett has created an objective and compelling portrait."
Brett Morgen has produced and directed the critically acclaimed documentaries On the Ropes and The Kid Stays in the Picture. Most recently, his innovative documentary Chicago 10 was the opening film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Morgen received the Director's Guild of America Award for his directorial work on On the Ropes, which also won the Feature Documentary Award from the International Documentary Association in 1999 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Morgen was inspired to create "Nimrod Nation" following his experience directing commercials for ESPN in Watersmeet.
The episode lineup for "Nimrod Nation" is as follows:
Monday, November 26th
9:00pm
Episode 1 - As the school year begins, hopes are high for the Watersmeet Nimrods, who won the 2005 District Finals in the team's best season ever. Coach George Peterson III hopes to lead the Nimrods to a championship, but he must balance his duties with his job as the principal of Watersmeet Township School. The team's star members include guard George Peterson IV, a senior who is the coach's son; center Nathan Vestich, a senior who is also student council president; and center Brian Aimsback, a Native American in his junior year. The season opener pits the Nimrods against a tough opponent, the Bessemer High School Speedboys.
9:30pm
Episode 2 - The uneasy nature of relations between Watersmeet's white and Native American communities is highlighted when Brian Aimsback and George Peterson IV reach the same career milestone of 1,000 points. But basketball is not the only subject stirring up local passions: word is out that a large housing development has been proposed for Bond Falls Park, a scenic wilderness area that is a popular spot for fishing, cookouts and other activities. Determined to save the land for future generations, ardent outdoorsman Jeff Zelinski begins a petition drive against the Bond Falls development.
Monday, December 3rd
9:00pm
Episode 3 - Motivational speaker Karl Randall visits Watersmeet Township School to talk to students about smoking, drinking, drugs and sex, and offers his own cautionary tale of teenage drinking and driving. Meanwhile, George and Suzanne Zelinski have taken in Suzanne's pregnant niece, Anna, a studious high school junior emerging from a rocky period in her life. As the Nimrods prepare to take on the undefeated Forest Park-Crystal Falls Trojans, pressure mounts on Brian, whose once-mighty shooting average has declined since he and cheerleader Hope Yablonski began dating.
9:30pm
Episode 4 - Student council president and Nimrod center Nathan Vestich heads up the planning for Homecoming Week activities, including dress-up days. A critical game against Ewen-Trout Creek turns ugly in the fourth quarter as players become physically aggressive, and Nathan's excellent showing is overshadowed by personal fouls in the game's closing minutes. After a Bessemer student threatens to retaliate against Nathan, Coach Peterson takes extra steps to ensure that the Nimrods' upcoming match against the Bessemer Speedboys stays clean.
Monday, December 10th
9:00pm
Episode 5 - Drama teacher Suzanne Zelinski tries to inject the arts into the school's extracurricular programs as she mounts a musical production, "Toys-R-Alive." Some Nimrod players join the cast, but rehearsals hit a bump when the athletes are claimed by basketball practice. Parent-teacher conference day brings some discussion about the tension between school sports and academic work. Sloppy playing by the Nimrods gives Coach Peterson cause for worry as the team nears the end of the regular season.
9:30pm
Episode 6 - Coach Peterson delivers an emotional speech on Senior Night, bidding farewell to six graduating players, including Nathan and George IV. Only one of the team's star players, Brian, will be returning the Nimrods next season. Watersmeet citizens and businesses get into the spirit of March Madness, and college coaches begin making inquiries about some Nimrod players. Bolstered by their 18-2 record, the Nimrods head into the first game of the post-season and face one of their fiercest rivals.
Monday, December 17th
9:00pm
Episode 7 - As the Nimrods advance to the District Finals, Coach Peterson brings in former NCAA basketball coach Norman Ellwood for expert advice and strategizing - and to help get slacking center Nathan to perform up to his potential. While Nathan acknowledges the need to shape up, Brian is eager to redeem himself after a poor showing against Bessemer. Encouraged by his grandmother, Wanda, and his girlfriend Hope, Brian meets with a Chippewa tribal member about returning to one of his earliest loves, traditional Native dancing.
9:30pm
Episode 8 - Nimrod fans are nervous but hopeful as their team gets ready to play the #1 Forest Park-Crystal Falls' Trojans in the Regional Semi-Finals. Taking the court against the fast and formidable Trojans, the Nimrods are challenged not only to keep up, but also to keep their cool. With the snow melting and the basketball post-season winding down, it is time to turn to spring outdoor traditions.
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, CBS and Robert Redford. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is www.sundancechannel.com.
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