09/27/2014
DENVER, CO
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO EDUCATIONAL SCREENING
AURARIA CAMPUS

A very special piece of work.” MICHAEL POLLAN
“Shakespeare on the high plains.” JAMES REDFORD
“Part homage, part love letter, part wakeup call…” HUFFINGTON POST

Hanna Ranch is a feature documentary about visionary cattleman Kirk Hanna and his personal struggle to protect a once prominent way of life in Colorado. Born into a life on the family ranch, Hanna became a leader in the environmental ranching movement that set out to protect the West from the relentless encroachment of development and misuse.

Featured in the book Fast Food Nation and dubbed the “eco-cowboy,” he was an early adopter of Holistic Resource Management practices, sat on numerous environmental boards and was president of the Colorado Cattleman’s Association. Hanna’s opinion was so widely sought and respected, many even saw him as a future governor of Colorado. But when his dream of harmony and sustainability ran up against the reality of family conflict and mounting threats to the land, Hanna lost hope.

Kirk’s legacy and fight live on as his family and friends continue to protect the West by saving Hanna Ranch.

THE RANCH
Hanna Ranch was built in the 1940s by Kirk Hanna’s father and grandfather, who came from New Mexico and chose the site for its proximity to Fountain Creek, which runs through it. With 2.65 miles of stream coursing through the property, Hanna Ranch protects important floodplain and upland habitats with essential plant communities and associated wildlife to help it thrive. Bordered by Interstate 25 to the west and Hanover Road running through the property, Hanna Ranch provides unhindered views of a historical agricultural operation as well as a healthy riparian corridor just minutes from the Colorado Springs metropolitan area.

The Peak to Prairie program, which uses lottery funds and private donations to buy easements, has preserved over 100,000 acres of prairie in the Pikes Peak region. That now includes a portion of Hanna Ranch, which has declined countless offers for the purchase of its land and continues to fight against development endeavors.

“Kirk Hanna lives on…” THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Bucks the advocacy documentaries trend.” LA TIMES
“Moving.” VILLAGE VOICE
“Opens your eyes to the living spirit of the Old West.” FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
“Deeply affecting, elegiac portrait.” THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“A vital and mournful tale” THE DENVER POST

For more on the movie click here.