Creede is a small, former silver mining town in the heart of a canyon in the San Juan mountains. It has about 300 full-time residents. Just about everywhere you look, you see reminders of the area's mining heritage – including the abandoned mines that surround the town.
One thing sets Creede apart from other mining towns in Colorado: It has a thriving local theater scene.
In the 1960s, as the silver mining industry began to die out, The Creede Repertory Theatre opened with a handful of theater students. Sixty years later – there's still some tension between the free-spirited thespians who visit each summer, and the locals who work as ranchers or outfitters.
Yet, somehow, they coexist. That dynamic – and how everyone gets along with one another – drew filmmakers Kahane Corn Cooperman and Innbo Shim to make the new documentary Creede, USA.
The
film will be screened this Saturday as part of Colorado State University's ACT Human Rights Film Festival in Fort Collins. Ahead of the film festival’s opening, Kahane and Innbo joined Erin O’Toole to talk about the film, and what they think other communities could learn from Creede about civility and kindness.
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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
What is In The NOCO?
KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.