Save the Mercury Café: Support Kim's Documentary

I’m Kim Greenwell, and I’m a filmmaker who has spent my entire life in Colorado. I know there’s a lot going on in the world right now, but there’s also something BIG happening in my direct community - and I’m setting out to make a film about it.

There’s an incredible music and arts venue in Denver called the Mercury Cafe. The Mercury Cafe was started by a legendary woman, Marilyn Megenity nearly 50 years ago. A few years ago, Marilyn decided it was time to retire, and sold the Mercury Cafe to a new owner in 2021. The Mercury Cafe is once again for sale, leaving an uncertain future for the many communities that call this place home. There is also a complex labor dispute happening within this community right now, and our community is becoming more divided than it has ever been while trying to find a path forward. The history of the Mercury Cafe, as well as Marilyn Megenity’s personal legacy have all become extremely vulnerable in the last few weeks, which is why I’ve had to act quickly in getting this project started.

Anyone who has lived in Denver long enough knows that on any night of the week, you can go to the Mercury Cafe for poetry, music, dancing, or food and drinks. I was introduced to the Mercury Cafe in 2016 by friends who were slam poetry performers. In 2017 I took my first lindy hop lesson upstairs, and have been dancing and performing ever since. I have performed inside the Mercury Cafe so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve formed some of my longest, and deepest friendships through this community.

So, why am I setting out to make a feature length documentary about this place?

With the future of the Merc being uncertain, I feel personally drawn to capturing this story no matter how it unfolds. One reality is that an ultra wealthy developer buys the building, bulldozes it, and turns it into more luxury apartments or another brewery or dispensary - a story we’ve seen play out too many times in Denver. Folks who’ve poured decades of love into this community space will be devastated. Another possibility is that the baton of ownership is passed to a co-op or individual who is committed to creating a sustainable environment where our artists, poets, musicians, dancers, and cafe workers can all thrive.

The story of the Mercury Cafe, and what it is experiencing in its 50th year of existence, is a microcosm of what is happening across our country, and even the world. A city that is expanding and being gentrified is at risk of losing one of its most unique, historically impactful venues simply because its original mission was rooted in community and human impact rather than profit.

I am looking to raise $10,000 to kickstart what will ultimately be a feature length documentary. This initial $10,000 will help me purchase some gear immediately, allowing me to capture footage of what is happening at the Mercury Cafe over the next few weeks and months. This will also allow me to capture interviews with Marilyn Megenity as well as other key players of the Mercury Cafe and hire a proper crew for those production days - a cinematographer, a gaffer, and location sound at the very least. In the coming months, my goal is to have enough content captured to have a pilot or pitch video of sorts to continue raising funds for this project.

I have spent my career managing large commercial production budgets. I know that I can maximize a budget of $10,000 to go a long way in kick-starting this project. It would mean so much not only to me, but the entire community of the Mercury Cafe if you could support the documentation of this important story about a powerful woman, and the equally powerful community she fostered. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about the project. Thank you so much for your support.