Film captures tales 'From the North End of the Long Bridge'

(Now folks, before I talk about the Centennial Film, “Sandpoint: at the North End of the Long Bridge,” I want to let you in on a little known secret. Erik Daarstad read about people with multi-tasking skills and he wanted to get in on the act. He is accustomed to people calling him an “award winning cinematographer” and he decided to multi-task and become an award winning chef specializing in Italian food.  He approached chef Jim Lippi and asked if he would teach him to cook. Jim agreed and a series of 12 lessons were set to take place in Jim’s restaurant. Sad to say, Jim terminated the arrangement after three sessions saying, “I finally gave up. I gave him my recipe for ravioli and he made lutefisk, which is a Scandinavian dish of dried cod, preserved in potash lye, then skinned, boned, and boiled. I am sure it is delicious, but not Italian. I tried again with the same outcome — lutefisk. I gave up and Erik will have to be content with being called, “award winning cinematographer and lutefisk specialist.”) 

When Erik called and told me that “Sandpoint: at the North End of the Long Bridge,” was going to be shown on Saturday, Aug. 28 (today) I was delighted. The film is a running history, the foundation of Sandpoint, going back to the Native Americans, the Chinese, and all the people who made it what it is today. We spent quite some time talking about the film and how it came about.

The film started in 2000 and the first interview that we did was with Bob Selle.  Things really snow balled from there. We went to Usk, Wash., to interview members of the Kalispel Tribe and film a pow-wow. Numerous people were interviewed in Bonner County and in Spokane. 

We both had good memories of places we had gone and things that had happened along the way. I recalled the day we spent at the site of David Thompson’s Kullyspell House and the hours we spent on a houseboat filming along Lake Pend Oreille. I asked Erik what stood out in his mind and he said, “It was a good experience to learn about the history of Sandpoint and meeting all the people we got to know during the process. During this time, I learned to tolerate your behavior and your complaining about me moving you from place to place to get the best light for the interview. You always told people that I was trying to find the most uncomfortable place for you to sit.”

We agreed that the people we interviewed stand out as being the most memorable part in the making of the film. I remember on the Friday night before the film was shown to the general public on Saturday, we had a preview for everyone that had appeared in it. After the film ended, Hazel Hall walked up to me and whispered, “Bob, there was a miracle here tonight. That movie was two hours long and not one of us old people went to the bathroom. Now that’s a teal miracle.”

Erik recalled the day that we went to interview Art and Myrtle Burnett. The interview went well and Erik was packing up the camera when Art asked, “Daarstad, Daarstad, what kind of name is that?” Erik told him that it was Norwegian and Art replied, “Norwegian, my son-in-law is Norwegian but he is taking pills for it.”

I feel the film should not only be seen but it should be in every home of the people who are continuing the history of this place we call home. To know where we are going knowledge of the past is all important. David Keyes, Daily Bee publisher, said, “We saw the film again recently and we were surprised at how much Sandpoint has changed in just 10 years.” Daarstad’s film will be a valuable tool in reflecting on what Sandpoint was like, what is happening, and what it may be like in the future. 

I look forward to seeing you at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon at the Panida’s Little Theater. If you can’t make that showing, it will screen again at 7:30 p.m. “A Visit with Erik” is a series of Daarstad documentaries sponsored by the Bonner County Daily Bee and Mountain West Bank. Be sure to congratulate Erik on his culinary achievements.