Welcome to Leith

Welcome to Leith

Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Michael Beach Nichols
  • Christopher K. Walker
Produced by
  • Joey Carey
  • Jenner Furst
  • Michael Beach Nichols
  • Christopher K. Walker
  • Joshua Woltermann
Written by
  • Michael Beach Nichols
  • Christopher K. Walker
Music by T. Griffin
Cinematography Michael Beach Nichols
Edited by
  • Michael Beach Nichols
  • Christopher K. Walker
  • Joshua Woltermann
Production
company
  • No Weather
  • Sundial Pictures
Distributed by First Run Features
Release dates
  • January 25, 2015 (2015-01-25) (Sundance)
  • March 13, 2015 (2015-03-13) (SXSW)
  • September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09)
Running time
 86 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Box office $36,010[2]

Welcome to Leith is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker about white supremacist Craig Cobb's attempt to take over the North Dakota town Leith. The film premiered on January 26, 2015 at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and, after a limited theatrical release on September 9, was broadcast on PBS' series Independent Lens on April 4, 2016.[3]

Background

Craig Cobb supporting Pioneer Little Europe on Facebook.

Leith is a town which had a population of 16 in 2010.[4] In May 2012, Craig Cobb, an American Canadian white nationalist Neo-Nazi, moved to Leith with the intention of building a community of people sharing his white nationalist ideology and gaining the electoral majority.[5] He purchased 12 plots of land.[6]

Production

Nichols and Walker, who are based in New York, flew to North Dakota two months after they read an August 2013 New York Times article about Craig Cobb's scheme to transform Leith into a white-supremacist town.[7] They made three trips to Leith within an 8-month period, each around 3 weeks long, for the production of the film.[8] 90 days were spent editing the film.[9] In June 2014 Nichols and Walker launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the production of the film. They surpassed their $60,000 goal, raising $64,751.[10] The directors cited Errol Morris as an influence for how they shot the film.[7]

Reception

Welcome to Leith received largely positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 97% score based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's consensus states: "As disturbing as it is thought-provoking, Welcome to Leith offers an uncomfortable -- and essential -- glimpse into a part of society many Americans would much rather ignore."[11] Metacritic reports an 80 out of 100 rating based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Indiewire critic Kate Erbland gave the documentary a B grade, described it as "terrifying and insightful".[13]

References

  1. ↑ "WELCOME TO LEITH (15)". British Board of Film Classification. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Welcome to Leith (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. December 17, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ Olsen, Mark (January 30, 2015). "Sundance 2015: White supremacist guest leads to heated 'Welcome to Leith' Q&A". Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ Eligon, John (August 29, 2013). "New Neighbor's Agenda: White Power Takeover". Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Facchinei, Bianca (October 28, 2013). "North Dakota Town Issues Building Ban On White Supremacy Takeover". Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker Filmmakers of the Sundance feature documentary WELCOME TO LEITH". Miramax. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ Macaulay, Scott. "Five Questions for Welcome to Leith Directors Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker". Filmmaker. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Welcome to Leith". Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ Beach Nichols, Michael. "WELCOME TO LEITH - Feature Documentary". Kickstarter. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to Leith (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Welcome to Leith reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  13. ↑ Erbland, Kate. "Sundance Review: Terrifying, Unsettling And Insightful Documentary 'Welcome To Leith'". Indiewire. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
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