Through their fiscal sponsor, Kansas Public Telecommmunications, Inc. (KPTS), Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films have received a grant from Humanities Iowa, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of their new documentary The Barn Raisers.
The grant enables the Rundles to begin production on the documentary project which is a companion film to their Emmy® nominated historical documentary feature film Country School: One Room – One Nation.
“We are very grateful for the grant for The Barn Raisers and the support we received previously from Humanities Iowa for Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, Country School: One Room - One Nation, Lost Nation: The Ioway 1, 2&3 and Villisca: Living with a Mystery," said Producer Kelly Rundle. “Humanities Iowa has been an important partner in our quest to create entertaining and enlightening historical documentaries on important Midwestern subjects.”
The Barn Raisers tells the story of barns in the Upper Midwest by examining them through the lens of architecture. The film will explore how barn styles, building methods and materials tell us about the people who built them, the life they lived and the role these “country cathedrals” played in the settling and building of the Nation.
Barns were constructed by farmer-craftsmen, professional builders who traveled from job to job and even architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. The Barn Raisers will paint a cinematic portrait of barns and builders, an important way of life that has been largely forgotten, and the film will remind us that these remnants from America’s rural past are still here to be interpreted and experienced.
As in the Country School film, The Barn Raisers will feature contemporary stories of people and groups throughout the Midwest who are actively involved in barn preservation and restoration projects.
The Barn Raisers is slated for release in 2015. For more information about the new documentary, visit www.BarnMovie.com and the film's Facebook Fan Page.
Humanities Iowa is the only non-profit organization in Iowa committed to bringing the humanities to life and to the public through interactive programming, publications, and events. The Barn Raisers is supported by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
KPTS is a publicly-owned television station that educates, engages, entertains and enriches Kansans and viewers of all ages and in all walks of life by illuminating the challenges faced by society and presenting civilization's highest achievements.
Fourth Wall Films is an award-winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois.