Oct. 3—DULUTH — "RELENTLESS," a new 90-minute documentary film narrated by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons (the Farmer's Insurance guy) will premiere Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Fitger's Spirit of the North theater, 600 E. Superior St., in Duluth.

While the story of the sea lamprey invasion and crash of Lake Superior fish populations in the mid-1900s is certainly well known to most Northlanders who live near the big lake, the film is likely to bring the story to a larger audience.

Duluth area commercial angler Stuart Sivertson and the late Mark Rude appear in the film, as does Bill Mattes of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, headquartered on the Bad River Reservation near Ashland.

Generations of the Sivertson and Rude families fished at Isle Royale. They help tell the true tale of the invasion of the blood-sucking sea lamprey, native to the Atlantic Ocean, that made its way into the Great Lakes in the early 20th century. The lamprey virtually wiped out all native fish in Lake Superior until efforts began to poison lamprey larvae in the rivers where they spawn. That effort continues every year to this day and is credited with restoring the lake's native lake trout population as well as allowing other fish to thrive, including an all-time record cisco population.

The lamprey remains by far the most devastating and costly aquatic invasive species ever to hit the Great Lakes.

"RELENTLESS" will be shown as part of the Duluth Superior Film Festival that includes dozens of short and feature films and runs Thursday through Sunday. For information go to

dsfilmfest.org

.