Cinematic depictions of idiosyncratic small town America are so commonplace that sometimes only the real thing will do. Leith, North Dakota is very much a real place. But it isn’t so much a small town as a minuscule speck (population: 16 as of the 2010 census) on a dusty, overlooked part of the map – all of which notorious veteran white supremacist Craig Cobb evidently found appealing.

Seeing its cheap property prices and startling lack of infrastructure as an opportunity for takeover, the slippery, eerily soft-spoken Cobb was able to gain the co-operation of other white supremacist groups in aiding his land grab, and thus developing the headway needed to attempt political standing in the town. But even such a remote outpost cannot be fully immune from the insatiable 21st century media landscape, and inevitably the spotlight soon encroaches upon Leith as locals and neighbouring towns people gather to confront the supremacist contingent in a hectic, shouty and wholly unproductive frenzy. Inevitably, Cobb revels in the occasion, treating it like hard earned pageantry, cackling away like a Bond villain as he re-enters his home while abuse is hurled at him. But what of life after the initial torrent of emotion?

Edited with tidy aplomb and blending hand held footage, candid interviews with those involved and panoramic views that reinforce the depleted sense of place, WELCOME TO LEITH could easily become just another documentary with an infatuation with the cult of personality. But filmmakers Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K Walker resolutely keep themselves out of the way, placing Leith within a wider context whilst retaining the focus on street level intimacy. At a town meeting, Cobb impishly goads and taunts a local resident whose family history he has posted online, making it plain (if it were ever in doubt) that fighting and taunting are his true passions.

Soon, he’s hitting the streets like a self righteous sheriff under siege…

A prevailing sense that Cobb is about to push one step too far lingers over the residents, so they employ politics, serving Cobb with a notice that he must install running water on his multitude of properties. They also vandalise cars and incessantly record other supremacists, presumably in the belief that this will drive them to leave, or threaten their legal status. Meanwhile, somewhat farcically, Cobb ends up on a TV talk show where he takes a DNA test that reveals he’s 14% Saharan African – a fact that leads to ridicule from the host (Britain’s own Trisha Goddard) and guffawing audience. Soon, he’s hitting the streets like a self righteous sheriff under siege. He’s taken that final step too far, and the authorities can finally step in to arrest him. What is perceived by locals as an open and shut case instead flounders amid wobbly testimony, and a Cormac McCarthy-esque veneer of dread amplifies to boiling point as Cobb’s plea hearing reaches its verdict.

It all makes for a flop sweat inducing atmosphere that neither rushes nor crawls to conclusions. The technicalities of the filmmaking are consistent and unfussy, the music appropriately chilly and terse. In contemporary documentary film, too often gimmickry and self conscious candour cheapen our experience – and for this and many other reasons, WELCOME TO LEITH is a refreshing arrival.

WELCOME TO LEITH screens on 10 September at 18.30 at the Light Cinema

httpvh://youtu.be/C8gW1JU85iQ