April 1, 2003

Seavey Unveils Newest Project

“Ballad of Bering Strait” Hits Theatres, Country Music TV

By Brian Krause

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll; the classically trained musicians of Bering Strait belt out bluegrass like Nashville natives.
Except they come from Obninsk, Russia, more than 5,300 miles from Music City. After this latest Bolshevik revolution of country music crooners, the Grand Ole Opry will never be the same.

“The Ballad of Bering Strait,” a film directed by Nina Gilden Seavey, director of the GW Documentary Center, tracing the Grammy-nominated band’s often-tumultuous journey to America in search of stardom premiered at the Landmark Theater in Bethesda.

“I had originally intended it to be a film like ‘Almost Famous,’ ” Seavey says, referring to the film about a 1970’s rock band on the verge of fame. “But then things started happening to the band. It took two years to film and not the eight months I expected.”

Bounced back and forth between record labels, the seven members of Bering Strait learned how frustrating the recording industry is and how elusive the American dream can be. Balanced on the brink of success, they suffered constant setbacks and after six years in the United States are just now beginning to see their vision come to fruition.

Seavey knew that the story had struck a chord with audiences after a special viewing of the film last April at GW’s Lisner Auditorium. Bering Strait made a surprise appearance at the end of the movie, stepping out from behind the massive screen the movie was projected on.

“You have to see how the world responds to your work. [The audience] went nuts; I was shocked,” Seavey says. “People went berserk. I realized then that it was a very audience-driven film.”

Despite tying for first place in the Audience Award at the Washington, DC, International Film Festival and overall raving reviews, not all critics were as impressed.

“I read the critiques because they tell you something about the way the public will react,” says Seavey. “But you can’t let yourself get buffeted around by it. Audiences love this film. In general you can be assured that there are critics who won’t like what audiences like.”

With simultaneous releases in DC, New York, and LA, an airing on Country Music Television, and negotiations on the release of a DVD with Viacom, Seavey has been busy promoting her project. She says she normally stays with a film for a year after a release and that “The Ballad of Bering Strait” is “getting perilously close to me being able to walk away.”

A musician since she was 4-years-old, Seavey used to make a living playing piano as a singer/songwriter. Having grown up in St. Louis, she is also an avid country music fan. “Music is a huge part of my films,” says Seavey. “That’s why I decided to make this documentary.”

An award-winning director and writer, her documentary, “A Paralyzing Fear: The Story of Polio in America,” won an Emmy. Seavey’s work can be seen on television stations such as The Discovery Channel as well as in museums across the country.

 

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