Scott Duthie paused and laughed about the past two years before jetting off to Montreal for the world premiere of his new movie.

Two years -- that's how long it took Duthie, a Helena native, to produce "September Dawn," a historical drama set around the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, where a band of Mormon militiamen and Paiute Indians attacked a group of emigrants, killing 120 of them, including women and children.

"September Dawn" has hogged talk-shows and Internet blogs these past few weeks. It has enjoyed the attention of CNN and Barbara Walters, among others. Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has wisely stayed outside the fray, refusing to discuss the portrayal of 19th century Mormons in the new release.

"You can't beat the publicity," Duthie said last week. "Any time you do something about religion, people go nuts. When people are that passionate, word of mouth really spreads."

This reporter sat down with Duthie four years ago at the Fire Tower Coffee Shop to talk about his then-new movie "Firedog." It was an animated feature staring voice-overs by Tom Arnold, Nia Peeples, Tony Danza and Lauren Bacall.

Two years later, I met Duthie again at Starbucks, where he jumped headlong into talk of his new venture. He called the project "epic" and "monumental," and said it would be a major production challenge.

Of course, he was talking about "September Dawn," which made its theatrical debut Friday, ending two years of hard work and, Duthie admits, sleepless nights.

Before setting out to Montreal for that world premiere last week, Duthie reflected on the process of producing what could be the biggest independent movie in recent memory.

"This is something that couldn't have been done in the studio system," Duthie said. "It's 100 percent independent. It's independently written, independently produced and independently financed. It's completely outside Hollywood studios."

In a typical studio, Duthie said, the film may have cost upwards of $40 million. In contrast, it was produced for $11 million -- considered low budget in today's movie-making market.

"Your pre-production has to be tight," Duthie said. "You have to have a great crew. You have to wear multiple hats."

"September Dawn" posed other challenges outside logistics and financing. The historical research that went into the script, Duthie said, was tedious. But that was just the beginning.

Everything from the wagons used to the Paiute Indian huts and the buttons worn by the Mormon militiamen had to conform to history. It provided another layer of research -- another challenge.

"It becomes another wave when you attack the historical stuff with visual images," he said. "It just starts adding all this depth. It's got to be extremely true to the time."

Over the past two weeks, the movie, starring Jon Voight, Trent Ford and Tamara Hope, has received its share of attention, including from the likes of The New York Times and CNN. Talk shows have focused on the history and controversy behind the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which occurred on Sept. 11 -- a noteworthy point since the film explores religious fanaticism.

What's more, blogs have been hotly debating the role that Brigham Young played in the mass murder. Opposing views have argued on how the Mormon Church managed to dust the crime under the historical rug for nearly 150 years.

Recently, however, the church published several articles on the massacre, painting an unflattering picture of past leaders who ordered the crime. Some say the movie forced the church's hand.

"Actually, to their credit, that was great," Duthie said. "They itemized and took accountability for what happened."

The dialogue surrounding the movie doesn't bother Duthie. As it turns out, any publicity, especially free publicity, is a good thing. It's enough to make him grin.

"I have to say, as far as a complete independent production, this has got to be the widest, farthest release of an indie film ever done," Duthie said. "You can call it a Western, a drama, a historical thriller -- whatever. It's got the Romeo and Juliet story woven into it. It has to. Otherwise you're just making a documentary."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or at mkidston@helenair.com.