Risking Light

A Lutheran congregation in Minnesota ordains an openly gay woman as its pastor, defying the orders of the national Lutheran organization and bringing down a firestorm of criticism and outrage from social conservatives both inside and outside the Lutheran Church.

"Minnesota Mean" follows the powerful women of the Minnesota RollerGirls for a season as they balance life, friendship, and roller derby.

The Ramsey Hill neighborhood of Saint Paul, one of the oldest in the Twin Cities, is the focus of this 60-minute documentary that explores its birth, growth, decline and reclamation over the course of more than 150 years.

In the midst of a frozen Minnesota winter, a Japanese drum master and Korean adoptee from North Dakota join forces to assemble the world's best Taiko drummers in a bold effort to claim a cultural spotlight that has historically been reserved only for men. Their rhythm revolution includes rock stars from the world of Taiko: Tiffany Tamaribuchi, Kaoly Asano, Chieko Kojima, Megan Chao-Smith, and Jennifer Weir. Through grueling rehearsals, Jennifer weaves together their disparate voices and styles. Vulnerability, pain, and joys are shared-and we quickly see the bonds of friendship form as these talented women navigate their way through differences in culture, age, language, and performing styles. As the clock ticks toward their first performance, it becomes clear that their story has become much larger than Taiko.

On August 19, 2005 Roy Koch, along with 4,400 airline mechanics, custodians, and cleaners, went on strike against Northwest Airlines, the fourth largest airline in the world. Northwest, otherwise known as “The Red Tail” by its employees, wanted to lay off 53% of their union and outsource their jobs. What followed was a 444-day strike that would end with 4,000 union members out of work, including Roy.