The Pacific Northwestern

As opposed to the arid deserts traditionally associated with the Western, the Cascadia bioregion evokes an altogether different influence through a land of falling waters, temperate rainforests, sublimely gothic peaks, and a shimmering richness beneath the soil. Great artists have treated the Western film, that most American of genres, as a psychological landscape to chart the treacherous passages and violence serving as the foundation of our nation’s soul; manifest destiny, law and order, the predatory farce of capitalism, and the fundamental morality of man. Set from the 1820s to 1902, with productions ranging from classical Hollywood up to a recent pandemic casualty, the films in this program feature sumptuous location photography in the diverse wilderness of Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, British Columbia, and Washington State.

The series opens with Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, a spiritual journey from the harsh Southwest to the dream landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, that place where the mountains meet the sea. Throughout seven weeks, we will saunter through towering redwoods, trek across alpine terrain, navigate rushing rivers, and generally try to keep dry while avoiding greedy temptations as we pan for gold nuggets.

Whether you find comfort amidst a hippieish commune of prospectors, tending the soil of your quaint homestead, or resting on a bed of pine needles under a starry sky, you will discover diverse and lush landscapes of human experience in The Pacific Northwestern.