Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Four. Five. Three. Six. Five.

I came across this documentary quite by accident. It was when I was doing some autobiographical research, that I called my Dad, and asked him what the name of the tailor in his former hometown, where he still went to buy his suits when we were kids.* That was followed by an internet search, where instead of the merchant's name, I came across this recent work that premiered at this year's SXSW Festival. (The next paragraph is from the media kit, so I didn't write it.)

Shot over the course of 9 months in Sidney, Ohio, "45365" (pronounced: four, five, three, six, five) follows the lives of a cross section of the town’s residents as their storylines coalesce into a mosaic of faces, places, and events. A Judge’s race for re-election, the County Fair, the Barber Shop, the retirement home, a football team, a father and son, a young relationship, arrest and sentencing are all explored in this sweeping survey of life in a small town.

The film is the work of two favorite sons of Sidney, Bill and Turner Ross. The brothers currently reside in Los Angeles. If I ever get my hands on the forthcoming DVD, I'll have to do a review. Sidney has always been my "other hometown." I still remember those lazy Sunday afternoons, listening to the chimes at the county courthouse playing church hymns.

And speaking of church, at 16 seconds into the clip, you will see a brief glimpse of Holy Angels Catholic Church, which has been immaculately restored, including the beautiful hand-carved Stations of the Cross imported from Germany.

More information about the film can be found at the Ross Films' website: www.45365movie.com.
___

* The name of this place was Rhees's, by the way.
.

No comments: