Diane Richard + Todd Melby = 2 below zero. We're a couple who make thoughtful, thought-provoking public radio stories and documentaries. They also make separate work: Both are writers. Todd's book—"A Lot Can Happen in the Middle of Nowhere: The Untold Story of the Making of Fargo"—will be published in 2021 by MNHS Press.
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United States
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NewsDescription:
Diane Richard + Todd Melby = 2 below zero. We're a couple who make thoughtful, thought-provoking public radio stories and documentaries. They also make separate work: Both are writers. Todd's book—"A Lot Can Happen in the Middle of Nowhere: The Untold Story of the Making of Fargo"—will be published in 2021 by MNHS Press.
Language:
English
Episodes
Kelly Reichardt’s films are full of pregnant pauses and extended silences. In fact, her movies often lack a background score. They’re shot in the American West and filled with open skies and people living on the margins. In this episode of "The Drunk Projectionist" film podcast, Reichardt discusses why she substituted train sounds for soaring music in "Wendy and Lucy" and "Certain Women." The director of several widely-acclaimed films also tells us why she often shoots outdoors in natural light, how men and women sometimes view the scenes differently and why many of her movies are based in Montana and other western states. Oh, and a personal note: Unlike a lot of artists, Reichardt is always in the moment during interviews. I loved her off-the-cut takes on trains, her behind-the-scene reveal of stealing trains sounds from Gus Van Sant, our comparison of "secret" places in South Dakota and her genuine openness. — Todd Melby
Duration:00:25:35
An excerpt from the audio documentary "We Don't Talk Like That: 'Fargo' and the Midwest Psyche," co-produced by Todd Melby and Diane Richard for public radio.
Duration:00:08:32
An excerpt from the audio documentary "No Brother of Mine," co-produced by Todd Melby and Diane Richard for public radio.
Duration:00:03:36
The 1996 movie "Fargo" stirred widespread curiosity about snowy winters, funny accents and bloody mayhem on the frozen tundra of North Dakota and Minnesota. The film won two Oscar awards and inspired a popular television series. But how well did it actually capture and reflect the region? In this documentary, reporters Diane Richard and Todd Melby unravel the mystery behind the parkas, prowlers and wood chippers. Check out Todd's book on "Fargo" here: https://www.toddmelby.com/book
Duration:00:53:00
After moving from Wyoming to North Dakota during the height of the oil boom, Steve Brown started a water hauling company. Now it's the summer of 2015 and rig count has dropped to its lowest point in six years. As a result, Brown is struggling to keep trucks on the road.
Duration:00:01:43
Fewer rigs. Fewer trucks. Fewer jobs. With oil prices down, there's a lot less activity in North Dakota's oil patch. Don Williams, who lives and works in Ross, says the bust could have at least one positive aspect.
Duration:00:01:55
After moving to North Dakota, Kendra Hill's husband doubled his wages. Now the young couple have two kids and a new house. By the summer of 2015, the state's drilling rig count had dropped to under 80 rigs, meaning jobs was disappearing. No matter what happens in the oil industry, Kendra says her family is here to stay. (Photo by Ben Garvin)
Duration:00:01:57
Silent film may be a thing of the past, but scoring music to flickering screen classics isn't. This documentary focuses on three Minneapolis bands who are intrigued, perhaps even obsessed, by silents. Produced by 2 below zero's Todd Melby for KFAI's Minneculture program.
Duration:00:26:46
Every year thousands of birds migrate through Minnesota. And every year thousands of them collide with the built environment. Few people notice—except for those who pick up the carcasses. 2 below zero's Diane Richard shadowed Audubon Society volunteer and dead-bird artist Miranda Brandon on a tour through downtown Minneapolis. For the next half hour, they’ll give you a bird’s eye view of the obstacle course humans have built for our friends with wings.
Duration:00:28:22
Fewer Americans are watching movies in theaters—ticket sales fell by 11 percent between 2004 and 2013. For those attending the cinema, just about every movie available is projected digitally. 35-millimeter film, once the industry standard, is now a rarity. But there are still a few places you can watch a film flicker on a dark screen. 2 below zero's Todd Melby goes inside the projection room at the Trylon Microcinema in Minneapolis.
Duration:00:03:46
Lisa Westberg Peters is a children's book author who began investigating the Bakken boom after oilfield royalty checks began pouring into her mother's mailbox. Peters' grandfather, Oskar Westberg, purchased several parcels of farmland near Tioga, North Dakota, nearly a century ago. Today, that investment is paying big dividends. In a conversation with Black Gold Boom's Todd Melby, Peters discusses her book, "Fractured Land: The Price of Inheriting Oil," and how her family's history and North Dakota's decades-long search for oilfield riches intersect.
Duration:00:14:56
Erdenechimeg “Chimgee” Haltarhuu is a Mongolian circus performer and crusader against domestic abuse. A teacher at Circus Juventas, in St. Paul, she takes her own troupe, Circus Manduhai, to rural Mongolia, where she educates circusgoers about the dangers of violence in the home. Produced by Diane Richard.
Duration:00:05:00
Her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived on this land in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Now she does. Years ago, when oil company representatives first knocked on her door asking for permission to drill, she welcomed them. But in the years since the boom exploded, she’s had second thoughts. Story by Todd Melby Photo by Ben Garvin
Duration:00:01:50
Oil tankers rumble on lots of roads near Mandaree and New Town, North Dakota. Both towns are on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. But another tribal town — Twin Buttes — is just east of the Bakken oil field, making it a quiet place. Twin Buttes resident Cory Spotted Bear and friends recently constructed a traditional earth lodge there. Spotted Bear talked to Black Gold Boom’s Todd Melby about the project and his thoughts about the nearby boom. Photo by Philipp Batta
Duration:00:03:15
Arkansas will always be home to Oscar Everetts, but that didn't stop him from coming to North Dakota to make ribs for roughnecks. By Todd Melby Photo by Phillip Batta
Duration:00:02:12
Black Gold Boom's Todd Melby on the public radio program "The Story." Originally aired in 2013. Audio courtesy of APM.
Duration:00:30:11
Retailer Target's unusual gift giving. Originally aired on Marketplace in 2004. By Todd Melby.
Duration:00:03:43
'Mad Men' era sex discrimination has ramifications decades later. Originally aired on Marketplace in 2004. By Todd Melby.
Duration:00:03:53
An odd sport gets its moment in the winter sun. Originally aired in 2008 on NPR. By Todd Melby.
Duration:00:04:15
Elsie Ejismekwu is a trucker and cabbie in Watford City. Divorced and a mother of five, she moved to the Bakken for the work, which pays more than most other places in America. Says Ejismekwu, "I wanted a fresh start so I came to North Dakota." Photo and story by Todd Melby.
Duration:00:02:53
