Wisconsin-based film screens in Prairie

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(Left) David Ezekiel Duran plays Miguel, a recently immigrated man, who finds it difficult adjusting to life in Wisconsin. (Right) Erick Inestroza plays his brother-in-law Louie. (Photo used with permission from Nathan Deming)

By Steve Van Kooten

 

On Jan. 28, a Wisconsin-lensed independent film called February screened for audiences at the Prairie Cinema as part of the lead-up to the 75th Annual Ice Fisheree.

The film is the second in an intended 12-film series about Wisconsin. The first film, January, premiered in 2022.

“I’m very passionate about making films in Wisconsin,” Nathan Deming, the film’s writer and director, said. “I know a version of Wisconsin that the media doesn’t show, and this is trying to capture everyday life... February is the doldrums and waiting and boredom.”

Deming said he shot the film over a couple of weeks in February 2023 in Eau Claire and Tomah for approximately $30,000. Deming is a Tomah native.

February stars David Ezekiel Duran as Miguel, a recently immigrated Mexico native who struggles to find a place in a small Wisconsin town during the punishing winter of 2023.Detached from Rosa, his sister, and brother-in-law Louie, Miguel becomes interested in ice fishing, a curiosity that is neither shared nor encouraged by his family.

Eventually, Miguel gets to go ice fishing with a local named Carl, whose interactions with Miguel on an icy lake become an exchange of culture, wisdom and frustration as they wait for the fish to bite.

“Latinos are the fastest growing population in the state, and I think they’re still kind of ignored,” Deming said. “They’re becoming kind of a powerhouse in Wisconsin... So, I thought it was interesting to tell a story that was hopefully universal.”

Deming noted that the actor who played Carl—credited as Ritchie—was not a professional actor, saying, “He’s a guy that answered a Craigslist ad, and he did a great job.”

February will screen throughout Wisconsin in the next few months. The film played to a full house in Appleton before coming to Prairie du Chien. The film has screenings scheduled in Mineral Point on Feb. 17, Richland Center on Feb. 25, Viroqua on Feb. 27 and at UW-Platteville on March 5.

For more information, visit the film’s website at februaryfilm.com.

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