612 FILM

612: Darkness in the Land of Nice

​

Six years after George Floyd’s murder and one of the largest protest movements in modern history, America faces a defining question: What changed?

​

612: Darkness in the Land of Nice is an Oscar-qualified documentary that examines the aftermath of 2020 through the lens of Minnesota—ground zero for a global reckoning on race, justice, and power. What began as filmmaker Diem Van Groth documenting history in real time on his phone evolved into a six-year journey of truth-seeking, capturing hundreds of hours of interviews, community voices, frontline activism, and lived experiences.

​

Set in a state often ranked among the best places to live—yet one of the worst for Black residents—612 exposes the painful contradiction between progress and inequality. The film follows a new generation coming of age in the shadow of protest, asking whether promises of reform became meaningful change—or whether the headlines faded before the work began.

​

As America approaches another pivotal election cycle, 612 becomes more than a documentary. It becomes a mirror.

• A mirror reflecting Minnesota.

• A mirror reflecting the Midwest.

• A mirror reflecting America.

 

This is not just a story about protest.
It is a story about power.
About memory.
About accountability.
About whether young people will transform protest into policy, activism into voting, and pain into lasting change.

 

The question remains:

What changed?

And perhaps more importantly—What future are we willing to build next?

 

---

​​​​​

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.

​

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

​

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

​​

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