In March of 2020, an election year energized by women candidates and the centennial celebration of Women’s Suffrage, public television will premiere the story of the first woman cabinet member Labor Secretary Frances Perkins. Before the national broadcast, the Cook County community can join Mick Caouette of South Hill Films for a screening and discussion of his film at the Grand Marais Public Library on Wednesday, February 12 at 5:30 PM.

Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare shows how in the depths of the Great Depression, Frances Perkins overcame overwhelming odds to become the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet and the driving force behind Social Security, the 40-hour work week, the eight-hour day, minimum wage and unemployment compensation. Compelling interviews with David Brooks, Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar, Lawrence O’Donnell and others compliment the telling of Perkins’ heroic story, which explores the history of women in politics, Social Security, our attitudes toward immigration, poverty, Socialism, and the role of government. Without this context our current dialogue is ill-informed and diminished.

“I’m especially excited to show this film in Cook County,” said Caouette, who completed much of Summoned’s screenwriting in Lutsen. Caouette’s independent film production company, South Hill Films, aims to rediscover and recreate the lives of the American heroes of quiet courage who have shaped the America in which we now live.

This event is made possible through a partnership between Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais Public Library, and Minnesota Children’s Press (MCP), who are proud to promote great literature and powerful ideas. Thank you to Boreal Corp, MCP’s youths’ publishing group, for promoting this event throughout Cook County.

Please arrive early as seating is limited.