Minnesota Mean

Directed by Dawn Mikkelson - In Attendace

A year in the lives of six members of the Minnesota Roller Derby, as they compete to win the Hydra, the top international prize of the sport. When the star of the team gets injured, will her teammates find their own power?

Minnesota Mean is a human drama about the pounding heart of roller derby: powerful, self-sufficient women. It’s a vital and relevant story of triumph, loss, strength, determination, and a search for balance between individuality and community. How do women who pride themselves on their hard-won independence thrive in a sport that requires them to rely on a team? How do they meet the full-time demands of the sport without sacrificing their own dreams for life outside the rink? A meditation on strength: in our bodies, our hearts, our minds, and our friendships.

Director Dawn Mikkelson is an Emmy Award-winning producer and McKnight Filmmaking Fellow, whose work highlights the power and joy found in the margins. She has been broadcast, streamed, and screened internationally. Festival screenings of her feature documentaries include the Galway Film Fleadh, Cinequest, Mill Valley Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, DOC NYC, Frameline Film Festival, and American Indian Film Festival. Broadcast and streaming include APT (American Public Television), PBS, CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation), Yes-Docu (Israel), Deutsche Welle (Germany), iTunes, and Amazon Prime.

Runtime 01:20:00, US