Home on the Range

Kirk Hanna was a cattle rancher, a conservationist and a Colorado legend before his untimely death at age 43. His pursuit of a utopian vision for the ranching way of life and his impact on open-space preservation and resource management are just part of the story told in Hanna Ranch,...

By Cory Casciato

May 22, 2014

Audio By Carbonatix

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Kirk Hanna was a cattle rancher, a conservationist and a Colorado legend before his untimely death at age 43. His pursuit of a utopian vision for the ranching way of life and his impact on open-space preservation and resource management are just part of the story told in Hanna Ranch, a new documentary from director Mitch Dickman.

“It’s the story of one man’s fight to protect his family and his land,” Dickman explains. “It’s indicative of a lot of the challenges that have occurred in the West and that occur to this day. It delves into conservation, mental health, family and food.”

Hanna’s vision for the future of ranching may be what makes his story worth sharing, but at its heart, it’s a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare, full of conflict and despair, with vivid characters and an inspirational view of a world that balances the needs of rural and urban populations for a better future for all. Hanna was a Colorado original, and the film offers a rich character study, an engaging narrative and a compelling argument for the importance of the man’s work and his legacy.

See it, starting tonight at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $10, or $7 for DFS members. For more info, including showtimes, visit denverfilm.org.
May 23-29, 2014

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