I'm not leaving Eldon

The state of Iowa is the largest producer of soy and corn in the U.S.. In the town of Eldon, Iowa, the multi-national corporations, Cargill and John Deere, are the most important job sources - mostly in the low income bracket. In the town there are hardly any public services. The houses are often placed between vast fields. Five young people talk about their daily lives in this rural area. Firing and outsourcing are real threats. Beside all this, the protagonists are labeled with negative stereotypes: white trash, rednecks and hillbillies.

The five friends of Eldon are very close to each other. They often meet unannounced. Their houses and cars don’t need to be locked. The protagonists describe the local changes of Eldon. Why stay despite bad job opportunities? How do they deal with their negative stereotypes? Why is freedom more important than a career? Creative solutions and a strong sense of community are essential in this rural region.

An anthropological documentary about unlocked doors, fun and conflict in geographical isolation.

  • Jessica Bollag
    Director
  • Jessica Bollag
    Writer
  • Jessica Bollag
    Producer
  • Cole Smith
    Key Cast
  • Ellen Chickering
    Key Cast
  • Kurt Chickering
    Key Cast
  • Janice Chickering
    Key Cast
  • Joel McDowell
    Key Cast
  • Jerred Reed
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Student
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 8, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Full HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Regard Bleu International Ethnographic Documentary Film Festival
    Zürich
    Switzerland
    October 24, 2015
  • Ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival
    Vienna
    Austria
    May 21, 2016
    Nomination for Excellence in Visual Anthropology Award
  • International Student's Ethnographic Film Festival
    Zadar
    Croatia
    May 20, 2016
  • Ethnographic Film Festival Kratovo
    Kratovo
    Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
    September 30, 2016
  • Student International Film Festival
    Rijeka
    Croatia
    October 14, 2016
  • International Festival of Ethnological Film
    Belgrade
    Serbia
    October 15, 2016
  • Athens Ethnographic Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    November 26, 2016
  • University of British Columbia International Festival of Anthropology Film
    Vancouver
    Canada
    January 12, 2017
  • Days of Ethnographic Film
    Ljubljana
    Slovenia
    March 2, 2017
  • Ethnografilm
    Paris
    France
    April 15, 2017
  • International Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec
    Montreal and Quebec
    Canada
    March 24, 2017
  • Riga Pasaules Film Festival
    Riga
    Latvia
    April 28, 2017
  • Freiburger Film Forum
    Freiburg
    Germany
    May 26, 2017
  • Festival of Visual Culture Viscult
    Joensuu
    Finland
    June 27, 2017
  • One with a Movie Camera Ethnographic Film Festival
    Margburg
    Germany
    October 29, 2017
  • Anthropofest International Documentary Film Festival
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    January 27, 2018
  • Etnofilm Festival Ethnographic Museum Istria
    Rovinj
    Croatia
    October 14, 2018
  • Anniversary of the 10th Athens Ethnographic Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    December 4, 2019
    Anniversary section - Film of the Year 2016
  • American Anthropological Association - Society for Visual Anthropology Film & Media Festival
    Minneapolis
    United States
    November 17, 2016
    Award for the Best Graduate Student Film
Director Biography - Jessica Bollag

Jessica Bollag has recently completed her Master's degree in Social Anthropology, with a focus on Visual Anthropology at the University of Bern. She is currently working at the Federal Office of Culture and was working as assisting teacher at the University of Bern. Her research interests are in the field of Anthropology of work, social class and ethnographic filmmaking.

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