Media Coverage of "World's Largest" Screening in Soap Lake
The screening of the documentary World's Largest at Masquers Theater in Soap Lake was the top story in the July 26, 2010 edition of the Grant County Journal, with two photos on the front page and one more on page three.
Soap Lake for Locals sends a giant thank-you to Randy Bracht and the Grant County Journal for their coverage of the event and permission to include the article and photos on this website.
A sense of place in "World's Largest" Soap Lake, other small towns vying to survive
BY RANDY BRACHT of the Journal
The vision of a giant lava lamp in downtown Soap Lake--as depicted in a graphic image (above) --was a central theme in the documentary, "World's Largest," which aired Saturday night at the Masquers Theater in Soap Lake. Below, filmmakers Amy Elliott (left) of New York and Liz Donius of Connecticut attended the presentation and accepted accolades from an appreciative audience for their portrayal of small-town hopes and ambitions across the country. (Photos by Randy Bracht)
Bracht 7-26-10 A sense of place in "World's Largest" Soap Lake, other small towns vying to survive BY RANDY BRACHT of the Journal SOAP LAKE — Funny and sad, poignant and candid, the documentary film,“World’s Largest,” offers a look at the big hopes of small town residents across the country — including Soap Lake — in defining their uniqueness with something, well, large. There’s a giant killer bee in Hidalgo, Texas; a giant clam in Pismo Beach, California; a 78-foot metal cornstalk in Shelby, Iowa; and three larger-than-life statues of mythological lumberjack Paul Bunyan in the state of Minnesota. All of those icons, and dozens more in as many states, were recorded by filmmakers Amy Elliott of New York and Elizabeth Donius of Connecticut, who were on hand Saturday at the Masquers Theater for a presentation of their movie. Years in the making, a central theme in their documentary is Soap Lake’s ongoing effort to erect a giant lava lamp as a tourism draw and economic focal point for one of the poorest towns in Washington. The 76-minute film features interviews with a number of local residents and visitors, each with their own perspective on the future prospects of the former Target Corp. advertising display, which was trucked several years ago from New York City’s Times Square to Soap Lake, where it lies in pieces outside the municipal sewertreatment plant. One scene shows Brent Blake, who first concocted the idea of a lava lamp as a community attraction, finding one of the transport trucks parked outside a truck stop on its westward trek. Elliott’s camera shows Blake surveying the massive components of the steel-and-plastic motion lamp, then commenting, “Wow, my gosh, we have to figure out how we’re going to put it back together again.” “This is going to be complicated,” he says. Other Soap Lake residents share their thoughts on the practicality, or silliness, or the venture. Local matriarch Joyce Notaras tells the filmmakers that the project “sounds ridiculous.” “Can I say that?” she then asks. But Joyce’s daughters, Marina Romary and Freida Sebok, were optimistic that a 50-foot lamp can lure visitors into town. Said Blake:“People will be compelled to stop.How can you not stop at a giant lava lamp?” George Sharp, a consultant with Washington state’s Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, says such projects can be part of a “branding” — in which communities use a common theme in a variety of ways to promote themselves. And that’s the key, Elliott and Donius told the Masquers audience during a question-and-answer session. “The places where statues work well, they’re part of a package,” said Donius. Elliott said some small towns in Missouri, for example, have no other attractions on which to build, and the film shows their statues and monuments in various stages of decay; sadly, like the communities themselves. But Elliott said she and Donius tried to be sensitive to the people they filmed, despite the poignancy in their changing fortunes over the passage of time. “We didn’t want to come across as snarky, or condescending,” she said. Local resident Burr Beckwith, shown on-screen several times with his wife, Eileen, said after the viewing that the film had “a certain gentleness and softness that was reassuring.” Even if things weren’t working out economically for many of the profiled communities, there was still “a real nice feeling” about the people living there, he said. To film “World’s Largest,” Elliott said she logged a staggering 78,000 miles, criss-crossing the country to over 100 different communities with her camera — sometimes on just a few hours’ notice. Among other statues, Donius and Elliott documented a giant egg in Winlock, Washington; a giant bullhead catfish in Crystal Lake, Iowa; a giant boll weevil in Enterprise, Alabama; and a bunch of big stuff in Texas — a killer bee, a jackrabbit, a roadrunner, a rattlesnake, a pecan, and a (big) dime in a box. “After six years, we had to stop,” said Elliott, calling the documentary “a labor of love.” Donius acknowledged the movie has its share of sad moments — like the aging Iowa corn farmer who breaks down in tears after reading a poem about his love for the land — but said she did not think of “World’s Largest” as “a sad movie.” Soap Lake mayor Wayne Hovde, who is featured in several cameos, applauded the filmmakers for their work.Hovde said efforts are ongoing to raise an estimated $1 million needed to reconstruct the lava lamp, spearheaded by local volunteer Al Lundberg. “I said (in the film) it will be done, and I’m sure it will be done,” said Hovde. And people everywhere continue to ask about the lamp. Hovde said he was in Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, checking into a motel when the clerk noticed he was from Soap Lake. “This gal says, ‘You got that lamp up yet?’” said the mayor. Elliott and Donius, friends since childhood, have been showing their film at various festivals around the country, but the trip to Soap Lake was the first time it had viewed in a community featured in the documentary. Local filmmaker Kathy Kiefer helped arrange the airing as part of a series of documentaries shown at the Masquers Theater. Donius said the film may ultimately be released on DVD. “Hopefully, we’ll make some money,” she laughed. -30-
The audience shared laughs during a question and answer session with filmmakers Amy Elliott and Liz Donius following a screening of the documentary, "World's Largest," Saturday evening at the Masquers Theater in Soap Lake. (Photo by Randy Bracht)
In addition to the images that appeared in the July 26 article, Randy Bracht took some other photos during the screening and sent them to Soap Lake for Locals. Thank you, Randy and the Grant County Journal.
Giant Lava Lamp Project Coordinator Al Lundberg (Randy Bracht photo)
Brent Blake, originator of the giant lava lamp concept (Randy Bracht photo)
Eileen and Burr Beckwith, creators of the Soap Lake for Locals website (Randy Bracht photo)
Target sign in Times Square (Randy Bracht photo)
Professional photographer and filmmaker Kathy Kiefer posted the photos below on her Soap Lake, WA Facebook page and generously shared them with Soap Lake for Locals.
Locals and visitors at the screening (K Kiefer photo)
Filmmakers Amy Elliott and Liz Donius. This was the first screening of World's Largest in a community where they had filmed. (K Kiefer photo)
Bobbi and Chuck with the donations jar. On one of Amy Elliott's visits to Soap Lake, she spotted Chuck volunteering his time to use a leaf blower to tidy the sidewalk in from of the Site of the Giant Lava Motion Lamp sign. She captured him on film and that scene is in World's Largest. (K Kiefer photo)
