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--- Read our press reviews "There's no better feel-good movie to be found..." - Michael Janusonis, --- "Both eyebrows and spirits flew up over the film “Courthouse Girls of Farmland,” which The Visionary Edge will screen Saturday evening." - Stacy Trevnon, --- "Seven women—age 80 to 90-plus—who turned heads when they posed nude for a calendar to save a historic courthouse, have gained more attention because of a documentary about their efforts..." --- Featured in the following Audience Choice, Best Documentary, SENE Film, Music & Arts Festival --- 1st Place Audience Award Winner, Breckenridge Festival of Film ---
Winner - Best Historical Documentary, the New York International Film Festival ---
Honorary Spirit Award, ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF) 2009 |
Courthouse Girls of Farmland - Official Documentary WebsiteA story with heart that bares the soul … and a little bit more.
"Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Courthouse Girls of Farmland is a documentary about a small town, historic preservation, and seven senior women who got up from their bridge club table to make a bold and controversial statement. The story began one summer morning in 2005 when the commissioners of East Central Indiana’s Randolph County voted two-to-one to destroy the county’s historic courthouse and replace it with a new building. Many in the area were outraged, especially one family in the small town of nearby Farmland. Discussing the issue in their mother’s kitchen that morning, brother and sister Jerome Herron and Angela Soper and Herron’s partner Larry Francer came up with a plan loosely patterned after the British phenomena, the Calendar Girls. The trio gained support from the town’s nonprofit arm, Historic Farmland USA (known for its innovative promotions and economic development efforts), then got the local photographer and printer on board. And soon Herron and Soper’s 87-year-old mother, Eileen Herron, and six of her bridge club friends were posing as centerfolds for a 2006 Courthouse Girls Calendar.
But the calendar is only one part of this story. The bigger issue is what’s happening to small towns all across America, especially those with history to be preserved in the form of their buildings, their culture, and the lives of their citizens … many of whom have lived in these towns since birth. It’s also a story about the value offered society by those who are older. As one of the women was told by a fellow senior during a public appearance: “Show them we may be old but we aren’t dead.” “When Angela said the word ‘naked,’ I was all ears,” says director Norman Klein with a laugh. “But seriously, as an aging person myself, I was really impressed by these women and their courage to—literally—put themselves on the line for a cause they believed in. And being originally from New York City, I was intrigued with this tiny town and everything it’s done to stay alive. I feel like other communities can learn from it.” The Courthouse Girls and those who fought the decision to destroy the courthouse are an example of one community’s efforts to preserve and revitalize its place in America’s heartland. We are happy to report that the 2006 calendar raised over $45,000 for the courthouse fund and for Historic Farmland (to support its ongoing efforts to improve the town). The commissioners also voted in 2006 to rescind their earlier motion to destroy the courthouse, and plans are now underway to renovate and expand the historic building to make it a beautiful and viable government building. In addition, because of the courthouse battle, new legislation was recently passed to create a Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission to help other county officials assess preservation and restoration needs for their courthouses. The town of Farmland and its delightful Courthouse Girls have proven von Goethe’s words correct: boldness does have genius, power, and magic in it. They’re also proving that “old ladies” can be gutsy and beautiful, and that small town life need never be mundane. In fact, it can be downright exhilarating. --- The Illusion of Nudity
--- Visit our Flash site to learn more and to order the DVD! Questions? Comments? Email the filmmaker at angela@rangewriter.com or visit her official website site at www.rangewriter.com |
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© 2010 Courthouse Girls |