This American Gothic
63 minutes | 2008 I 16mm + DVCAM
A Picture About a Picture and the Town that Inspired It
"In the spirit of documentary filmmaker Errol Morris who gave us Gates of Heaven in 1978 comes This American Gothic. Like Morris, Waters Freyer has captured with humor, local dialogue, and credible references, the persona of small-town America." – The Santa Fe New Mexican
This American Gothic is a history of one of the most famous paintings in the world and a quirky portrait of Eldon, Iowa, population 998, site of the house that inspired it. The film follows four local women over two years as they work towards their dream of a Gothic House Visitor Center to attract tourists and save their fading rural community.
Screenings:
Des Moines Arts Center
Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago
Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, Birmingham
Biografilm Festival, Bologna, Italy
Santa Fe Film Festival, NM
Rome Independent Film Festival
Wisconsin Film Festival
Athens International Film & Video Festival, OH
Fargo Film Festival
The American West Center, Salt Lake City
Portland Women's Film Festival , OR
Utopia Film Festival Greenbelt, MD
Rural Route Film Festival
Rockport Film Festival, TX
Estes Park Film Festival, CO
Detroit Docs International Film Festival
Whitman College
Beloit International Film Festival, WI,
Free Range Film Festival, Wrenshaw, MN
Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival, IA
Central Florida Film Festival
We, the People Documentary Festival, Los Angeles
Landlocked Film Festival, Iowa City, IA
Hardacre Film Festival, Tipton, IA
Lakedance International Film Festival, Sandpoint, ID
Washougal International Film Festival, WA
Independent Media Center, Urbana-Champaign
Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
and the Graham Foundation.
