1913 Massacre

1913 Massacre follows the lead of Woody Guthrie’s song back to Calumet, to search among the ruins and memories of this once prosperous mining town for the story of 1913. The bitter labor struggle of 1913 and the Christmas Eve tragedy in which it culminated left deep scars. In Calumet, the past is undeniably present.

In 1984, the town of Calumet, Michigan tore down the Italian Hall, the site of the 1913 Christmas Eve tragedy that Woody Guthrie sang about in his folk ballad, 1913 Massacre. The Hall’s destruction did not, however, resolve the mystery of what happened there on December 24th, 1913. Nor did it erase the town’s memories of 1913; memories that still divide and define this one-company town, long after the mining company pulled out. Now, as the town struggles to overcome its current troubles, Calumet faces new questions about the memory and meaning of Christmas Eve, 1913.

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Ken Ross Award–winning work as a filmmaker ranges from documentaries and independent experimental films to commercials, music videos, and long formats. He has directed over 100 TV commercials, and his work as a director and cinematographer has appeared on HBO, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, PBS and network television.

Louis Galdieri has written both short and long format films and developed programs for public television and radio audiences. For the National Edition of CBS Evening News, he created a bi-weekly series of television essays about America in the 21st century.