Outcast Studios

Recent publicity about the North Dakota "Zip to Zap" 40th anniversary might leave some, particularly the younger generation, wondering what all the fuss is about.

Zap Revisited, a documentary film by North Dakota native Chris Breitling, offers a look at this unlikely event through the perspective of those who experienced it first-hand.

"There are many sides and conflicting opinions as to what really happened during the Zip to Zap," said Breitling. "While my film doesn't tell the whole story, it does shed some light on this complicated subject without oversimplifying it. What's been most satisfying for me is hearing people who were there in 1969 say they think I got it right."

Early research led Breitling to several individuals who had intimate knowledge of the Zip to Zap origins, among them Charles Stroup, who was then North Dakota State University (NDSU) Student Body President, and Kevin Carvell, editor of its student newspaper, The Spectrum.

A 1983 graduate of West Fargo (N.D.) High School, Breitling was a graduate student in film at Chicago's Columbia College when he produced the documentary.

"I shot it with a borrowed camera during my Christmas break in 1990, driving to Zap without much of a plan, shooting scenery in sub-zero temperatures and lining up interviews on the fly," he said. "I was learning the process of documentary filmmaking at the time and was lucky to land some great interviews with colorful characters and finding choice snippets of news footage."

It's impressive to see so many different people researching and writing about this subject, especially when all the information coalesces into a wonderful story. Of course, it's a lot easier to do today - especially with the advent of Wikipedia, broadband connections, websites and forums dedicated to many different topics. Events like the anniversary of Zip to Zap would not be possible without these forms of communication, and credit is due to all who played their part in Zap's history over the decades.