Filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle and Lora Adams (WQPT) hold awards
from the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival given to the Emmy-nominated
"Letters Home to Hero Street".
March 2017 marks the 10 year anniversary of documentary filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle’s move from Los Angeles to the Quad Cities. Ten films and three Mid-America Emmy® nominations later, their new documentary The Barn Raisers will have its broadcast premiere on WQPT-PBS on Sunday, March 26 at 9:00 p.m. Their Emmy-nominated River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 will air following The Barn Raisers at 10:00 p.m.
The Barn Raisers is also an Official Selection By-Invitation at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Southern California, where 50,000+ attendees will view films from all over the world April 20-27, 2017.
“This is a great way to celebrate ten wonderful years in the Quad Cities,” said Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films. “We are always grateful and honored to have our broadcast premieres on WQPT.”
The film will air again on WQPT on Thursday, March 30 at 11:00 p.m.
The Barn Raisers tells the story of barns in the Midwest by examining them through the lens of architecture. The film explores what building methods, barn styles, 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. The Barn Raisers is a companion film to the Rundles’ Emmy® nominated historical documentary Country School: One Room – One Nation.
"The Barn Raisers feels like a hymn to the solemn beauty and importance of these buildings, and the Rundles treat them with the reverence they deserve...” wrote Jonathan Turner, film reviewer for the Dispatch-Argus.
Linda Cook, film critic for the Quad City Times gave the film 4-out-of-4 Stars and wrote: "Great documentaries, like this one, entertain, teach us about the human condition and help us see the world in a different way."
The Rundles were surprised to hear from the Newport Beach Film Festival.
"A programmer was looking for new films on architecture for a special section of the festival called Architecture, Art + Design. They previewed the film and we were pleased to receive word that The Barn Raisers was selected for the festival," said Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.
“We have come full circle,” Tammy said. “We made our home in Southern California for 18 years. To have our latest documentary screen there as we celebrate our ten-year anniversary in the Quad Cities seems fitting.”
Families of the Hero Street eight during a special Veteran's Day Service at Hero Street Memorial Park, Silvis, Illinois.
The Rundles see a busy year ahead with production work on their Hero Street documentary series they are developing; editing their first docudrama Sons & Daughters of Thunder with a premiere date planned for later this year on the Putnam Museum Giant Screen in Davenport, Iowa; and releasing Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg (a co-production with partner Garry McGee of McMarr LTD) for broadcast and on DVD early in 2018.
The Barn Raisers was partially funded by grants from Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Humanities Iowa, the Kansas Humanities Council, the Michigan Barn Preservation Network, the Ohio Humanities Council, the National Barn Alliance, and the Wisconsin Humanities Council, the Moline Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Jackson County.
The fiscal sponsors for the film project are Friends of Ohio Barns, the Kansas Barn Alliance, KPTS-PBS, and the Jackson County Historical Society.
The Rundles are the producers of the regional Emmy® nominated historical documentaries Country School: One Room – One Nation, River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6, and Letters Home to Hero Street (co-produced with WQPT-PBS).
To PRE-ORDER the DVD of The Barn Raisers, click here: http://fourthwallfilms.com/dvds.htm.
You never know where a story is going to take you. We started developing a documentary on Hero Street in 2012 after reading Marc Wilson's book Hero Street, USA: The Story of Little Mexico's Fallen Soldiers and meeting with the award-winning author. Wilson introduced us to several of the Hero Street eight's family members. It was then we realized the importance of preserving the story and making more people aware of its significance.
The most challenging part of any film project is raising the funding. Several people and organizations pledged immediate support for our Fourth Wall Films documentary project, including MAVA-Chapter VI and an anonymous donor from central Iowa. These initial donations made it possible for us to begin filming interviews.
Then in August 2014 a call came in from Lora Adams at WQPT-PBS looking for a short documentary project (under 30 minutes long) that would be funded by an Illinois Arts Council grant. The grant amount was not large enough to cover the cost of finishing our feature-length Hero Street documentary about all eight of the heroes. So the idea was set in motion to tell the story of one of the heroes, Frank Sandoval. The Sandoval family had a large collection of Frank's letters which made it possible to produce a short documentary with the grant award.
While Fourth Wall Films' and WQPT's collaborative short documentary Letters Home to Hero Street focused on Frank's story, the film ultimately drew attention to all eight of the heroes from Silvis, Illinois.
Letters Home to Hero Street went on to win film festivals, a regional Emmy nomination and generate a PBS Learning Media resource for use by educators all over the country. It also breathed new life into the original long-form documentary project, Hero Street--which will be over 90-minutes long.
Actress Maya Chavez, great great niece of hero Claro Solis/Soliz, stars in "Letters Home to Hero Street".
"Because of Letters Home to Hero Street, people have a better idea of what we can do with the Hero Street documentary feature film," said director Kelly Rundle. "We are grateful for the recent funding that has come in to get production rolling again on the project."
Maria Solis, niece of hero Claro Solis/Soliz sits for an on-camera interview for "Hero Street".
We recently completed an interview for the Hero Street documentary with Maria Solis, who is the niece of hero Claro Solis/Soliz. She is also the proud grandmother of actress Maya Chavez who starred in Letters Home to Hero Street.
The on-camera interview was conducted in the former home of Claro's brother on 2nd Street (now called Hero Street). The family's box car can still be seen within the framework of the home built around it.
Hero Claro Solis/Soliz, one of the Hero Street eight.
Reflecting on her fondest memories of Claro and Hero Street was not always an easy thing to do--memories of joy, warmth and love connected to Claro, the family and the block-and-a-half street in Silvis often mixed with painful and heartbreaking memories of loss. But this story needs to be told, she felt. All of these boys' stories need to be told and remembered.
We could not agree more, Maria.
For more information about supporting the documentary project Hero Street, click HERE.
We are pleased to announce that Letters Home to Hero Street is part of a new PBS Learning Media classroom resource that will be available to teachers throughout the United States. Letters Home tells Frank Sandoval's World War II story through letters he sent home to his family in Silvis, Illinois between 1942 and 1944. The film is a co-production between Fourth Wall Films and WQPT-PBS, both based in Moline, Illinois.
The resource was made possible by generous donations from Bob Ontiveros, Matthew Casillas, LULAC Council No. 10 of Davenport and Darryl Morin. We are also grateful to the Sandoval family for sharing Frank's letters for this resource and for the Letters Home documentary film.
The Letters Home film is accompanied by three lesson plans, and facsimiles and transcripts of three of Frank Sandoval's original letters. The new resource is aimed at Junior and Senior High School students. Teachers can access the resource via the national PBS Learning Media website.
One of the lesson plans results in letters written by students to soldiers serving overseas through the Operation Gratitude program. Another leads students through the process of designing a War Memorial for Mexican-American Medal of Honor recipients.
PBS LearningMedia provides access to thousands of free, innovative, standards-aligned and curriculum-targeted digital resources, and now Letters Home to Hero Street is among them. The curriculum was created with the help of Illinois Public Media -- WILL-PBS.
Letters Home to Hero Street received a Mid America EMMY nomination and the Silver Eddy and Audience Award at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. It also received the Second Place Audience Award at the Muscatine Independent Film Festival and recently screened as an Official Selection at the 2016 Borrego Springs Independent Film Festival in California.
Frank Sandoval entered the U.S. Army in 1942. He served in North Burma with Co. C 209 Engineer Combat Battalion. He was listed as "killed in action" near the Irrawaddy River on June 26, 1944. His older brother Joe was killed in Germany on April 14, 1945. The Sandovals are two among eight who died from Second Street in Silvis, Illinois. In 1969 the street was renamed Hero Street to honor the eight lost in World War II and the Korean War.
Letters Home to Hero Street was produced by Lora Adams (WQPT) and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films) and directed by Kelly Rundle (Fourth Wall Films). The film starred Eric Juarez, Maya Chavez, Cindy Ramos and Joshua Wielenga. The cinematographer on the documentary was Chris Ryder (WQPT) and production assistance was provided by Melinda Carriker.
Letters Home to Hero Street can be purchased online here: Fourth Wall Films DVDs
The film is also available via Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Home-Hero-Street-Juarez/dp/B00SOYY8SE/
You can stream Letters Home to Hero Street online here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/lettershome
WQPT-PBS is a media service of Western Illinois University.
Fourth Wall Films is an independent film production and distribution company based in Moline, Illinois.
Actor Eric Juarez plays "Soldier" in the short documentary produced by WQPT-PBS and Fourth Wall Films. The film will premiere January 15, 2015 at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Silvis, Illinois.
Production is underway on WQPT and Fourth Wall Films' short documentary Letters Home to Hero Street. The 30-minute film, funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, will focus on a young Mexican-American veteran's personal view of World War II as told through the letters he sent home to his family in Silvis, Illinois. He becomes one of eight veterans of WWII and the Korean War killed in combat from the same block-and-a half long neighborhood now called Hero Street, USA.
Bonnie Patton, Irene Mawson and Tommie Shadden discovered letters kept by their mother Jennie Garcia from heroes Frank and Joseph Sandoval.
The new documentary Letters Home to Hero Street, produced by WQPT-PBS and Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, is well under way with the new discovery of letters written by brothers Frank and Joseph Sandoval during WWII and sent home to loved ones in Silvis, Illinois.
P.F.C. Frank Sandoval entered the U.S. Army on October 3, 1942. He served in North Burma with Co. C 209 Engineer Combat Battalion. Frank was listed as "killed in action" on June 26, 1944.
His brother, P.F.C. Joseph Sandoval, entered the Army in 1944 and served with Co. I 41st Armored Infantry Regiment. His company position was overrun on the Bank of the Elbe River near Schonebeck, Germany and he was reported "missing in action" on April 14, 1945. After a one-year investigation he was listed as "killed in action" on April 15, 1946.
The Rundles spent a recent afternoon talking with Irene Mawson and Tommie Shadden who found a box of personal correspondence in their mother's home.
"She was Frank and Joe Sandoval's sister. She kept everything and liked to write," said Irene of her mother, Jennie Garcia, who had recently passed away. Jenni kept detailed journals and notes throughout her life reflecting her quick wit and creativity.
The yellowed envelopes were carefully sorted, bound and their contents preserved for nearly seven decades.
WQPT, the Quad-Cities PBS station, was awarded a grant from the Illinois Arts Council for the creation of the new documentary with the Rundles--a completely separate project from Fourth Wall Films' planned feature-length documentary "Hero Street: A Block and a Half Long and Eight Men Wide."
The 30-minute documentary will reveal correspondence from Hero Street soldiers to their families as the men fought and died in World War II and the Korean conflict.
"It will be a short documentary that focuses on a fairly specific way of telling the story through letters," said producer/director Kelly Rundle. "We get to concentrate more on visual creativity."
The documentary will be completed by the end of December 2014 and will premiere on WQPT in early 2015.
For those who have letters from the heroes: Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Soliz, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños; photographs or other materials related to Hero Street that may be considered for the documentary project, please contact [email protected]
"Letters Home to Hero Street", a new documentary co-produced by WQPT and Fourth Wall Films.
We have had a long-standing, wonderful relationship with WQPT-PBS over the years and we are honored to work with WQPT's Lora Adams and Chris Ryder to create a 30-minute documentary entitled "Letters Home to Hero Street" for PBS broadcast. WQPT has received a major grant from the Illinois Arts Council to produce the project and we are thrilled to partner with them on this project.
There have been so many 'in our corner' since we began the Hero Street journey. At this time, we would like to take a moment to say thank you!
First and foremost, our gratitude to ALL of the families and friends of the Hero Street eight and the incredible legacy that this short, significant street in Silvis, Illinois represents to our country. Thank you for your stories, your memories, your insight, your willingess to share your photos, letters and materials with us. Thank you for your patience with us and believing in us. We have documented several interviews for the project so far, and look forward to continuing our production work in August and September.
Our gratitude to writer Marc Wilson for his support and for being the first to make us aware of Hero Street and how extremely important it is to preserve the story.
The most difficult part of independent filmmaking is raising the money for any project. 'We are Heartland, not Hollywood.' We are deeply grateful to our fiscal sponsor on Hero Street, The Moline Foundation, which has made it possible for us to apply for grants and approach organizations, businesses and individuals for financial contributions to the project. Doug Miller the Director of Produce Quad Cities stepped up when we were seeking a non-profit organization and introduced us to this wonderful, supportive foundation.
There was one Iowan (who wishes to remain anonymous) who made the first contribution to the film project. She made it possible to begin this journey. We are deeply grateful for the generous support and assistance of MAVA--Hero Street Chapter #4. This group, as well as Joe Moreno and QCM/Running USA, were among the earliest to offer help and support.
There have been a number of individuals who have made donations and contributions to the documentary. Many of you are not from the Quad Cities area, but have followed our work and wanted to be a part of getting a documentary on Hero Street made--recognizing that the story is not only important to the region, but to the nation, and beyond. We have acknowledged each of you in our "Sponsors and Supporters" section of the website and we thank you again and again!
Contributions for the feature-length "Hero Street" documentary can be made by visiting this LINK.
Thank you to our project sponsors: The Putnam Museum, WQPT-PBS, Produce Quad Cities, Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, WSIU-TV, WTVP, and Hola America!
We gratefully recognize our local media for covering our progress and announcing the new documentary project with WQPT "Letters Home to Hero Street": Jonathan Turner and the Moline Dispatch-Argus, David Burke and the Quad City Times, Hola America!, Doug Miller and Produce Quad Cities, and WQPT!
Today, a piece written by journalist Jonathan Turner ran in the Dispatch-Argus. We would like to share a portion here and encourage you to click through to read the full article. Thank you for your interest and continuing support!
~Tammy & Kelly Rundle, Fourth Wall Films
By Jonathan Turner, Moline Dispatch-Argus
As if the filmmaking Rundles of Moline haven't been busy enough, they have another new historic documentary project to finish by the end of this year.
Husband-and-wife Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films have made five Midwest-themed documentaries in the past decade, are in production on four others, and are putting together their first narrative feature (the docudrama "Sons & Daughters of Thunder"), to be released next year.
WQPT, the Quad-Cities PBS station, recently was awarded $30,000 from the Illinois Arts Council for the creation of a new Rundle documentary, "Letters Home to Hero Street," a separate half-hour piece from their planned feature-length "Hero Street: A Block and a Half Long and Eight Men Wide."
The short documentary will reveal correspondence from Hero Street soldiers to their families as the men fought and died in World War II and the Korean conflict.
"We are so pleased to receive the grant because it allows us to create a documentary on a topic that is near and dear to our community," WQPT general manager Mary Pruess said in a release.
"I am excited to be working with the Rundles. We have aired all of their documentaries and they always create compelling films that are beautiful and well researched," said Lora Adams, WQPT's director of local content.
As required by the Illinois grant, the documentary will be completed by the end of the year and will air in early 2015 on WQPT, and ideally throughout Illinois, Kelly Rundle said this week.
"It will be a short documentary that focuses on a fairly specific way of telling the story through letters," he said. "It will be fun for us; we get to concentrate more on visual creativity."
"The other film is just a concept right now," Mr. Rundle said of the larger feature documentary. "We see this as being completely separate, just because the style of it will be so different. We will do some reenactments, that depict people writing and reading letters from the past. In 30 minutes, it's a laser beam focus on this one aspect of the story. We're really excited about it.
"We're both hoping that it will increase interest for the larger project, which has been struggling in terms of funding," he added.
Only a block and a half long, Second Street in Silvis lost six young men in World War II and two in the Korean War, more than any other street in America. Hero Street, as it is known, has provided more than 100 service members since Mexican-American immigrants settled there in 1929.
Click HERE to read the full article.
M.A.V.A Commander Gunter Terronez welcomes members and guests to their June 2013 Membership Appreciation Dinner. The table in the foreground is set in remembrance of POWs and MIAs.
Filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films were invited to attend the June 2013 dinner meeting of the Mexican-American Veterans Association (M.A.V.A.), Hero Street Chapter #4 at the Ybarro Gomez VFW Post 8890 in East Moline, Illinois to chat with members about their new documentary film Hero Street.
Several M.A.V.A. members shared stories and memories of growing up on Hero Street in Silvis, Illinois.
The Hero Street Chapter turns 28 on June 21, 2013 and the list of community projects funded and supported by the group is long and impressive.
Learn more about the Hero Street Chapter of M.A.V.A. by visiting their website at:
Ruben (left) and sister Rufina Sandoval. Rufina holds a portrait of their parents.
Recently we spent a very enjoyable morning with Ruben and Rufina Sandoval. They are brother and sister to Hero Street's Willie Sandoval. They shared memories of their brother and remembraces of their old 2nd Street, Silvis, Illinois neighborhood. The street was renamed Hero Street to honor Willie and seven other veterans who lost their lives in WWII and Korea.
This kind of participation and support from the families of the Hero Street Eight is essential to the success of the documentary film project. We are very grateful to Ruben and Rufina for their time, and we are looking forward to a winter-time visit with them to review additional family photographs.
Willie Sandoval's framed decorations.
Tony, Sonny and Frank Soliz (left to right). Fourth Wall Films Photo
Last week we were pleased to meet with nephews of Claro Soliz. Brothers Frank, Tony and Sonny Soliz are perhaps best known for their efforts to create a permanent monument honoring the eight heroes from Hero Street in Silvis.
The brothers overcame a significant financial challenge and a number of unexpected project setbacks to create a visually-striking monument honoring their uncle Claro and his comrades Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joe Gomez, and Johnny Muños.
We are looking forward to winter-time on-camera interviews with Frank, Tony, and Sonny and to hearing their memories related to their uncle Claro and the other heroes, growing up on 2nd Street in Silvis, and the monument project.
We are grateful to the Soliz brothers for their support for and interest in the Hero Street documentary film project and we look forward to working with them, and the families of the other seven heroes, to ensure historical accuracy.
You can learn more about the Hero Street Memorial Monument by visiting:
http://www.herostreetusa.org/