That Mennonite Joke
What is a Mennonite? A stiff, humorless, efficient farmer who prefers to live without electricity. At least that's the stereotype. But Mennonites are also funny. No seriously, like really funny. Spread out across the country is a surprisingly large group of Mennonites, who specialize and capitalize on humor and who don't ride horse and buggy.
What most people don't know is: Mennonite's bizarre native language, Plautdietsch is inherently funny and their culture is filled with jokes and laughter. So, what is at the root of all this humor? What is the barrier between North American culture and Mennonite culture? Is comedy strictly cultural? Do Manitoba Mennonites only laugh to keep warm? All these questions will be answered.
Matt Falk is a comedian from Niverville Manitoba... yeah it's close to Winnipeg. His act is an offbeat concoction of self-deprecating humor and boyish charm. Matt is on a quest to craft the most hilarious act in history and to do that, he must go on a comedic walkabout through his heritage.
This journey will lead us through encountering other Mennonite entertainers like 3MolPlaut (A comedic Mennonite Trio with 4 albums, sung entirely in low-german), Corny Rempel (Menno radio host by day, world class Elvis tribute artist by night). He'll talk to authors like Nathan Dueck, Armin Wiebe (Award-winning Author of The Salvation of Yasch Siemens), and Miriam Toews (Governor General Award recipient and multi-award winner) who have explored this unique humor in their books.
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Orlando BraunDirectorFrom Under the Bed, Graffiti Stories, 725, Becoming Lucy, War Bride, A Separate Peace, Bye. Goodbye., It Is What It Is, Polar Bear Town
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Jorge Requena-RamosProducerFrostbite, Graffiti Stories, From Spain With Love, Polar Bear Town, Curse of Chucky
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Orlando BraunWriter
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Matt FalkKey CastSummer Camp, Just For Laughs, Winnipeg Comedy Festival
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Joni ChurchEditorColder Than Mars, Escape or Die, Prairie Diner, A Warden's Random, The Medicine Line, The Illegal Eater, Build It Forward, Drop the Nickel, Trailer Park Boys
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Television, Other
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Genres:Comedy, documentary
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Runtime:19 minutes 16 seconds
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Completion Date:February 5, 2016
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Canada
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Gimli Film FestivalGimli, MB
July 27, 2014
Pitch Contest
MTS Stories From Home: $20,000 -
Keystone CinemaSteinbach, MB
February 6, 2016
World Premiere, Manitoba Premiere
4.5/5 stars, 97% recommendation -
Winnipeg Real to Reel Film FestivalWinnipeg, MB
February 20, 2016
Winnipeg premiere
Best Short Documentary, 4.5/5 stars, 97% recommendation -
ShArt International Comedy Film FestivalPark Theatre
February 27, 2016
Orlando Braun is an award-winning Canadian Filmmaker for film & television, and founder of Prairie Boy Productions. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Film at the University of Manitoba and a Masters of Fine Arts in Producing from the New York Film Academy in Universal Studios, California. Orlando was selected for the Telefilm Canada Producers Mentorship in 2012 through the CMPA and as a result worked with Merit Motion Pictures as Business Affairs and Production Management on award-winning theatrical and television documentaries for broadcasters like CBC's DocZone and The Nature of Things, PBS Nature, Smithsonian Channel, OLN, TVO and more. In addition to documentaries, he has also worked with Business Affairs on the TV Series Polar Bear Town.
Orlando has worked in New York and Los Angeles with industry professionals such as Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film, Manage-Ment [Garden State], Platinum Studios [Cowboys & Aliens] and Film Independent [Spirit Awards, LA Film Festival].
Short films produced by Orlando include It Is What It Is, the musical, which won Best Musical Short at the New York Independent Film Festival 2011 and also won Best Director and Best Ensemble Cast at BAFF (Best Actor Film Festival) 2011. He completed a half dozen short films over two years including War Bride commissioned by China’s LeTV in 2012. War Bride, 725 and Becoming Lucy premiered at the 2013 Festival de Cannes in the Short Film Corner followed by numerous official selections in other festivals and winning awards. His 30 minute TV documentary Graffiti Stories, created for MTS Stories From Home [Manitoba Broadcaster], was the first film produced under the Prairie Boy Productions banner and was nominated for the Canadian Screen Awards 2015 Diversity Award and won the Award of Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2015 Canada International Film Festival.
Prior to producing for film and television, Orlando worked on the television provider side as a Business Analyst for MTS TV. The strong business skills and the creative appetite helped form the foundation for becoming a successful Creative Producer.
It is time that North American audiences saw a side of Mennonites that has never been portrayed in film or television before – to really show from the inside, how hilarious they are. Every time “Mennonite” appears in the television news, or in film, it is usually a somber/serious story. This film is overdue to break that mold.
“Mennonites are HOT right now” – Avi Federgreen, IndieCan Entertainment.
In a recent discussion with Canadian distributor Avi Federgreen of IndieCan Entertainment, he enlightened me to the fact that there is an obvious sense of curiosity about this subject in today's audiences. TV networks are trying to tap into the Mennonite world with programs like TLC’s “Breaking Amish”, DIY Network’s “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish” Nat Geo’s “Mennonite Made” and more. While the curiosity is apparent, unfortunately the authenticity factor often seems to be missing. This film will be that candid glimpse into the Mennonite culture that will bring people in on the joke. It’s a way to embrace the culture from an inclusive approach rather than an exclusive one.
Brief history on “Mennonites”: as a group, they were formed by Menno Simons, a Dutch priest as part of the Anabaptist movement. Because of their pacifist beliefs [not a popular stance during times of war], they had been persecuted and fled from many European countries and Russia, landing in the Americas [North, Central and South]. And this is where possibly their sense of humour derives from – when times are tough, humour emerges. And this has stuck with the group ever since.
I am likely the best person to tell this story not only because I'm a filmmaker with the access, but I was also born on a Mennonite colony in Paraguay before my family migrated to Canada. I remained part of the Mennonite community in Canada and actively maintained many aspects of my culture including cooking and speaking Plautdietsch [Low German]. I am fluent in the language and humor was an intrinsic part of my upbringing. It actually surprised me when I realized that the outside world did not consider Mennonites funny or even having a sense of humor! I have lived this world, and know I know this subject better than anyone else in this industry. Not only am I the best person to tell this story, I might be the only one to do it well.
Lastly, a conflict that arises is that many North American youth of Mennonite heritage [and as ANY heritage] feel they are losing their culture, as though the culture is dying [Low German along with it], and Matt feels like it might be too late to resurge. Other Mennonite entertainers argue that it can be kept alive and they are in fact doing it – keeping the culture alive through its humor. It is my aim that viewers will not only learn something about Mennonites, but also be inspired to dig into their own roots, talk to their own grandparents with a thirst to want to learn more about their own past and restore/enhance the pride in their cultural heritage.