Directed by Ned Warner, Dirk Rasmussen
A few days before her 18th birthday, dog sled musher and playwright Bekah Grim found her parents had secretly packed her bags to send her to a halfway house. Her parents were emerging from a conservative Mennonite cult, and to them, Bekah’s teenage rebellions were not understood or tolerated.
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Years later, Bekah is living her dreams mushing Alaskan huskies and writing plays in Leadville, Colorado. She searches for answers alongside her sled dogs in the Rocky Mountain wilderness and processes past traumas by writing and staging plays in local community theaters.
When Bekah’s mother comes to visit the High Rockies, she hopes that she may be forgiven for sending her daughter away so many years ago. She struggles to understand the morality of her decision in the presence of Bekah, now a strong, independent adult. Bekah and her mother come to an emotional reconciliation at the peak of the film, forgiving each other in full.
“Mother Daughter” is not only a film about a mother-daughter relationship, it is a coming-of-age story of how Bekah found herself through dog sledding and playwriting, learning to forgive her parents and ultimately herself.
Project Links
News & Reviews
- “”Mother Daughter” Explores Grim’s Life”Herald Democrathttps://www.leadvilleherald.com/news/article_99cf08e6-94c5
Director Biography – Ned Warner, Dirk Rasmussen
NED WARNER (DIRECTOR)
With over 15 years of experience shooting everything from 16mm to digital, Ned’s storytelling renders human stories relatable and relevant. After studying filmmaking at the New York Film Academy and working as an Associate Producer at Sender Films, Ned founded Juna Creativeworks — a full-service film production agency based out of Leadville, Colorado. When not out shooting, Ned can be found hiking, songwriting, and spending time with his partner Ash in Leadville.
DIRK RASMUSSEN (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR)
Dirk Rasmussen is the Restoration Program Manager at Colorado Open Lands. Dirk grew up in a farming community in rural northwestern Wisconsin and has lived in Colorado since 2009. He holds an M.S. in geology from Western Washington University and a B.A. in geology from Colorado College. In addition to landscape restoration work and conservation throughout Colorado, he is passionate about the expansive polar wilderness and multicultural community of Svalbard, Norway where he has worked seasonally as a guide for Poli Arctici since 2008. Currently, he lives near Leadville where he enjoys winter with his partner and Great Pyrenees for most of the year. Dirk is a Wilderness First Responder and speaks fluent Norwegian.
I was once asked what inspires me most as a filmmaker during an interview about “Mother Daughter.” Bekah Grim, the subject of our film, was my greatest source of inspiration because she is a warrior we can all relate to. In the film, we witness Bekah’s reckoning and ultimate acceptance of herself for who she is. It was powerful to watch Bekah’s growth throughout filming; she becomes herself with the compassion and grace we all aspire to in our own lives.
Directing “Mother Daughter” has changed me as a person. After facilitating and filming a conversation in which Bekah forgives her mother, I was left wondering how I might also have the courage to reconcile relationships in my own life. I am proud to have told the story of Bekah’s journey this past year in a way that feels compelling, authentic and honest. I feel grateful to know Bekah and to have the opportunity to tell her story.
Director Statement
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 
