612 FILM

612: Darkness in the Land of Nice is an Oscar-qualified documentary examining what happened after 2020 through the lens of Minnesota—the place where a local tragedy sparked a global reckoning on race, justice, and power.

 

What began with filmmaker Diem Van Groth documenting history in real time on his phone became a six-year journey through hundreds of hours of interviews, community voices, youth activism, lived experience, and the organizations working toward solutions.

 

Set in a state often celebrated for its quality of life, yet marked by some of the nation’s deepest racial disparities, 612 asks a defining question: Six years later, what changed?

 

The film follows a new generation shaped by protest and looks beyond the headlines to examine whether promises of reform became meaningful progress—and what communities are building now.

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Youth. Community. Solutions. What changed?

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Change Makers and Experts:

• ​Marvin Anderson — Retired Attorney at Law and former Minnesota State Law Librarian. Board Chair, ReConnect Rondo. Executive Director, Rondo Center of Diverse Expression

• Alan Page – Retired Minnesota state Supreme Court judge. Minnesota Viking. College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Erika L. Binger – Founder V3.  Philanthropist. Former Chair McKnight Foundation. Former world triathlete and aquathlete champion.

• Patty Hand – Chief Operating Officer Minnesota Department of Education.

• John Gordon — Former attorney Faegre Baker Daniels, Former Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU of MN).

• Maddie and Emma  — University of Minnesota graduate students and community organizers.

• Markus Flynn  – Executive Director at Black Men Teach.

• Henry Lake – Lake Media Group, Talk show host (WCCO, Fox, The Lake Show).

• Susan Brower – Minnesota State Demographer and Director of the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

• Toshira Garrway — Community Activist.

• Delina White – Native Apparel Designer, Jewelry Maker & Beadwork Artist, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

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Production:

• Director/Writer/Producer: Diem Van Groth

• Producer: David M. Massey 

• Executive Producer: Sarah Brokaw 

• Executive Producer: Kokayi Ampah 

• Executive Producer: Clint Schaff

• Executive Producer: Diem Van Groth

• Interview Cinematographer: Tannie Tang

• Interview Cinematographer: Alejandro Miranda

• Protest Cinematographer/Photography: Diem Van Groth

• Interview Production Designer and Art Director: Jose Herrera

• Camera:  Tersharra Hill

• Editor: Jacob Steingroot

• Composer: Norbert Gobor

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Special Thanks:​​

• Fiscal Sponsorship: International Documentary Association (IDA)

• American Film Institute (AFI)

• Story Review: Samuel D. Pollard

• Meredith Lavitt 

• Russell Greene

• Toby Shimin

• Kristen Nutile 

• Mobolaji Olambiwonnu

• Inspiration and Guidance: The Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers – West

• Brandon & Lance Kramer, Meridian Hill Pictures 

• Assistant Editor: Lucia Fox-Shapiro

• Legal: Sheri Linzell, Linzell Law

• Legal Review: Lawnie Grant

• Clearing Services: Clearances640

• Accounting: Smith Mandel & Associates, LLP

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Incredible Contributors:

• Brokaw Family Foundation

• David Whitman

• Bert Cohen

• Jodi A. Niehoff

• Lexi Byler

• Jennifer Ramberg

• Joanne Dornan

• Cookie Agnew

• Paula Curtin

• Nan Newton

• Tomme Tobias