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.
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Jessica BollagDirector
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Jessica BollagWriter
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Jessica BollagProducer
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Cole SmithKey Cast
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Ellen ChickeringKey Cast
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Kurt ChickeringKey Cast
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Janice ChickeringKey Cast
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Joel McDowellKey Cast
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Jerred ReedKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Student
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Runtime:50 minutes
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Completion Date:January 8, 2016
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:Switzerland
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Full HD
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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Regard Bleu International Ethnographic Documentary Film FestivalZürich
Switzerland
October 24, 2015 -
Ethnocineca International Documentary Film FestivalVienna
Austria
May 21, 2016
Nomination for Excellence in Visual Anthropology Award -
International Student's Ethnographic Film FestivalZadar
Croatia
May 20, 2016 -
Ethnographic Film Festival KratovoKratovo
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
September 30, 2016 -
Student International Film FestivalRijeka
Croatia
October 14, 2016 -
International Festival of Ethnological FilmBelgrade
Serbia
October 15, 2016 -
Athens Ethnographic Film FestivalAthens
Greece
November 26, 2016 -
University of British Columbia International Festival of Anthropology FilmVancouver
Canada
January 12, 2017 -
Days of Ethnographic FilmLjubljana
Slovenia
March 2, 2017 -
EthnografilmParis
France
April 15, 2017 -
International Ethnographic Film Festival of QuebecMontreal and Quebec
Canada
March 24, 2017 -
Riga Pasaules Film FestivalRiga
Latvia
April 28, 2017 -
Freiburger Film ForumFreiburg
Germany
May 26, 2017 -
Festival of Visual Culture ViscultJoensuu
Finland
June 27, 2017 -
One with a Movie Camera Ethnographic Film FestivalMargburg
Germany
October 29, 2017 -
Anthropofest International Documentary Film FestivalPrague
Czech Republic
January 27, 2018 -
Etnofilm Festival Ethnographic Museum IstriaRovinj
Croatia
October 14, 2018 -
Anniversary of the 10th Athens Ethnographic Film FestivalAthens
Greece
December 4, 2019
Anniversary section - Film of the Year 2016 -
American Anthropological Association - Society for Visual Anthropology Film & Media FestivalMinneapolis
United States
November 17, 2016
Award for the Best Graduate Student Film
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.