A Western movie gift for Grandpa

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Cinematographer and director Viktor Johansen fi lms a scene for the movie created for Anna Westerman’s grandfather. Director Viktor Johansen goes over a scene with Anna Westerman (left) and Rebekah Toeller.

Outlaw Rick Randazzo helps prepare a scene for fi lming.

liked her storyline and said he could help and by that time, she’d created a full script.

She and her sister, Grace, pooled their money together and hired him. Grace was enthusiastic about the larger-scale project.

“Go big or go home,” she said.

Once restrictions began to ease and people could begin to get together in small groups, they started fi lming. Anna secured the historic Forest City Stockade northeast of Litchfi eld in Meeker County, and planned to fi lm half of the movie there before moving fi lming to the farm.

Cast members became part of the fi lm crew due to the gathering restrictions, and everyone helped with the bounce, microphones and other equipment when they weren’t on screen.

“Whoever wasn’t in the scene was helping with the shot,” Grace said.

Anna, 26, wrote the script for the fi lm, “Providence Trails,” with the help of a friend who provided a story starter. Anna put together the middle and end, added in the characters and outlined the plot in a screen-writing format.

“Then it became our story,” she said.

Anna and Grace are in the fi lm, along with some of their cousins, an aunt and uncle and other relatives and friends – all people Anna’s grandfather would recognize. She coordinated with her cast member friends and family via text message and organized people to take a trip to North Dakota, where they had friends from their time being involved with the Ft. Seward Wagon Train.

“North Dakota has a lot more open scenery and grasslands,” Anna said.

The fi lm is set before the Dakota Territory reaches statehood. A strong-headed woman is hired to deliver a package out west and she must gather together a crew of women to help her. The task becomes more diffi cult than they originally thought.

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