Showdown for Sheriff: spirit and division underscore Goldendale movie screening

GOLDENDALE — Film screenings seldom make their way out to Goldendale — a quaint, rural community with strong agricultural roots and a staunch conservative lean. With Mount Adams towering in the distance, its wide-open country roads cultivate a culture similar to the “Wild Wild West,” where principles of big-city living feel extraterrestrial. 

While there’s no active movie theaters nearby, the red carpet unraveled in front of the Goldendale Grange for an inward-looking presentation on Sept. 19. Matt Marzano’s debut documentary feature, “Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict,” premiered in front of a frisky full house, documenting the passion and division leading to a contentious 2022 Klickitat County election season. 

Despite hailing from a remote county, Sheriff Bob Songer made a name for himself in national media, even appearing on Fox News. Songer considers himself a “Constitutional Sheriff,” believing his power supersedes higher-ranking authorities. Though state and federal courts operate with the Constitution in mind, it’s Songer’s reading that prevails in Klickitat County. His base, spearheaded by a 150-plus-citizen posse trusted to oversee his term, values his alt-right rhetoric and refusal to cooperate with gun laws and mask mandates. To them, he’s a God-fearing patriot.

The documentary traces a tight contest, and the days that led up to it, between Songer and Sargent Garique Clifford of the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department. Also a Republican, Clifford firmly opposed Songer’s “authoritarian ways,” but was ultimately outlasted by the incumbent. Three years later, Marzano’s vision aims to relay diverse perspectives countywide. “Showdown for Sheriff” brims with critics, supporters, haters and worshipers — many of whom maintain their stance on the sheriff’s controversial conduct in 2025. 

Matt Marzano Growing up in Trout Lake, Marzano found it challenging to capitalize on or escalate his growing interest in film. While later attending school in California, he began watching more movies and fell in love with the joy and emotion present during the collective theater experience. He started tinkering with cameras and sound. Now, presenting his first feature, that passion is as bright as ever. “I will continue filmmaking no matter what,” Marzano said.

After a stint living in New York, Marzano returned to Klickitat County and established a relationship with Songer. He recognized the upcoming re-election period as a chance to explore the harsh division occurring so close to home — a microcosm of the discord impacting the United States. 

During a lengthy, three-year film-making process, Marzano rode his bike across the county, interviewing more than 100 citizens to test the water in the heat of a boiling election cycle. He tallied more than 1,600 arduous miles, traversing steep gravel backroads along the way. Such commitment stems from his love for Klickitat County, a region rarely represented on screen. 

“Filmmakers tend to document cities,” Marzano said. “But I’m from here; I love this county, and rural America is just as interesting.”

Thus, Marzano was able to construct friendly relationships with individuals on all sides of the political spectrum. Those connections would only intensify in the editing booth. “I ended up loving these people, no matter who they are,” Marzano said. “They might have only seen me one day, but I’ve lived with them for 6 months.”

The long-awaited product, “Showdown for Sheriff,” represents Marzano’s drive and ambition, proving his efforts indeed paid off. The film is a diamond in the rough — a beautifully shot and thoughtfully curated deep-dive into a stunning natural region and the people that call it home. 

Showdown for Sheriff

The film shimmers in its intermediate moments: cows exhaling on a chilly morning, the sun quietly rising over a snow-laden volcano and locals enjoying the rodeo. Marzano captures Klickitat County at its rawest, beautifully mixed with twangy Western tunes. “Showdown for Sheriff” paints a complete picture, highlighting every walk of life and every breadth of feeling that inhabits its subject community. 

Ultimately, Marzano does not attempt to take a side. His message is strictly apolitical — a window into a community beside itself, desperately clawing for common ground. “I’m more interested in people than politics,” Marzano said. “This movie is about people more than anything.”

Partisan divide

The content, however, is deeply immersed in heated political debate, indicative of the country at large. Name-calling, anger, distrust and protests are abundant. Songer’s opposition cites his fascist, anti-government behavior — chiefly his rogue law enforcement militia — as a danger to Klickitat County. They believe he is “not based in reality” and has deceived a community already left behind, weaponizing culture war talking points to further radicalize the population. Alternatively, Songer’s loyal base celebrates his agenda, which upholds their “God-given” rights and cracks down on the progressive, “socialist” ideals of Western Washington. Simply put, the two sides operate in different realities.

It’s up to the viewer to evaluate and interpret the situation, address the merits of Songer’s rule and use their personal context to formulate an opinion. Each individual takeaway will be a direct result of one’s political biases. For some, it will unveil a backwards and crooked jurisdiction; for others, it will reinforce MAGA-adjacent, “Constitutional” politics. For all, it will illuminate the hardships battering an underserved community.

Audience feedback

Goldendale bookstore owner Zachary Villar was pleasantly surprised by Marzano’s work. After all, it’s not every day the town has a movie screening, much less one of such quality. 

“We don’t get a lot of interesting art,” Villar said. “Art like this is important for people in small towns because they don’t get many chances to step back and reflect on themselves.” He added, “The people in this town are a real thing; a movie like this solidifies our existence.”

The bulk of those in attendance were visibly and audibly pro-Songer — many of them featured in the film — including a MAGA fan dressed head to toe in Trump-themed garb. Songer himself was also present, with several members of his posse. Snickering and laughter echoed through the Grange frequently, particularly when the opposition was on screen. 

Songer’s takeaway: a fair and balanced film that didn’t lean one way or the other. “Matt did a good job,” he said. “When the rubber hits the road, you follow the Constitution” — or, at least, as one small-county sheriff sees it.