Mercury Rising: Kimberly Greenwell Is Making a Documentary About the Legendary Venue

"The first time I went to the Mercury Cafe, it was with a friend who was a slam poet," remembers Kimberly Greenwell, a Denver filmmaker who is making a documentary about the legendary venue, eatery and cultural hub at 2199 California Street. "The local poetry community there is amazing. But then I found out that the Mercury also did swing dancing and Lindy Hop upstairs. There was just so much happening."

Greenwell, a Colorado native, began frequenting the Mercury Cafe in 2016. Before long, she was a fixture at the venue's regular dance events. At the same time, she was launching a career in filmmaking. A graduate of the Denver School of the Arts's Video Cinema Arts program and CU Denver, she became active in the local film industry as the marketing co-chair of Women in Film and Media Colorado.

She began operating cameras and producing commercials to pay the bills, but she also made her own original films, including music videos — most notably for the local band Waiting Room — and shorts such as A Bit Lush, which she produced for the Denver edition of the 48 Hour Film Project last year. She joined the local comedy troupe Queen City Sketch as its behind-the-camera talent as well.



Through it all, she kept frequenting the Mercury Cafe, which was going through some major changes. In 2021, the founder and proprietor of the legendary venue, Marilyn Megenity, sold the business she had started in 1975 as well as the building she'd bought in 1990. The Merc has weathered some tough times since then, and the current owner, a partnership led by Danny Newman, has suggested another sale might be possible. Concerned about the future of her favorite space in Denver, Greenwell formulated a plan to capture the Mercury's history on film.

"Anyone who has lived in Denver long enough knows that on any night of the week, you can go to the Mercury Cafe for poetry, music, dancing or food and drinks," Greenwell says. "With the future of the Merc being uncertain, I feel personally drawn to capturing this story no matter how it unfolds. One reality is that an ultra-wealthy developer buys the building, bulldozes it and turns it into more luxury apartments or another brewery or dispensary, a story we’ve seen play out too many times in Denver. Folks who’ve poured decades of love into this community space will be devastated."

Greenwell is hopeful that the outcome will be different, however. "Another possibility," she suggests, "is that the baton of ownership is passed to a co-op or individual who is committed to creating a sustainable environment where our artists, poets, musicians, dancers and cafe workers can all thrive."

To fund the film, she launched a GoFundMe page in November; she reached her $10,000 production goal in under a week. The highest donation was $1,000, which came from one of Greenwell's fellow dancers who's afraid of losing what has grown into a local swing subculture.



"So far, the title Mercury Rising has felt right to me," she says. "That could very well change, though, depending on the filmmaking journey."

Greenwell's next step is producing a teaser for the film, and then she'll start the monumental task of interviewing dozens of people connected to the Mercury, as well as combing through whatever archival photos and footage she can find. Factoring in editing and post-production, she envisions the project taking at least a year...and she doesn't have any time to waste.

"The story of the Mercury Cafe, and what it's experiencing now in its fiftieth year of existence, is a microcosm of what is happening across our country, and even the world," Greenwell says. "A city that is expanding and being gentrified is at risk of losing one of its most unique, historically impactful venues simply because its original mission was rooted in community and human impact rather than profit. I feel a real sense of urgency when it comes to making this film."

For more information about Kimberly Greenwell, visit kimgreenwell.com.