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In a farmhouse basement on the Iowa countryside, eccentric collector Mike Zahs makes a remarkable discovery: the showreels of the man who brought moving pictures to America's Heartland. Among the treasures: rare footage of President Teddy Roosevelt, the first moving images from Burma, a lost relic from magical effects godfather Georges Méliés. These are the films that introduced movies to the world. And they didn't end up in Iowa by accident. The old nitrate reels are just some of the artifacts that belonged to William Franklin Brinton. From thousands of trinkets, handwritten journals, receipts, posters and catalogs emerges the story of an inventive farmboy who became America's greatest barnstorming movieman. As Mike uncovers this hidden legacy, he begins a journey to restore the Brinton name that takes us to The Library of Congress, Paris and back for a big screen extravaganza in the same small-town movie theater where Frank first turned on a projector over a century ago. By uniting community through a pride in their living history, Mike embodies a welcome antidote to the breakneck pace of our disposable society. "Saving Brinton" is a portrait of this unlikely Midwestern folk hero, at once a meditation on living simply and a celebration of dreaming big.
Rating
NR
Director
Andrew Sherburne, Tommy Haines
Studio
Barn Owl Pictures
Writer
Tommy Haines, John Richard, Andrew Sherburne
- An engaging portrayal of a small town in Iowa with surprising film heritage and a fascinating man who is as decent in his conduct as he is passionate in his pursuits. I became enamored with the charismatic and refreshingly anachronistic subject of this subtly emotional film. The only difficulty was deciding if that subject was Georges Melies' silent films, the people of Washington Iowa or Mike Zahs himself. No matter, the delightful effect was the same.Reply
- Brilliant and inspiring film that speaks to the power of community, history, story telling, and never giving up on a dream.Reply
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- Remarkable, intimate profile of an unsung hero of the American heartland who single-handedly preserved a cinematic treasure of international importance!Reply
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- A charming tribute to one remarkably dedicated cinema fan and historian, and to his decades-long hard work to save an essential piece of the pop-culture past and cultivate its story for the future.Reply
- What gives Saving Brinton its heart is watching one man work doggedly, without complaint, to save history.Reply
- In the end, Zahs' efforts and "Saving Brinton" aren't really about the past. They're about the future, and what things we will decide are worth preserving for future generations to enjoy and learn from.Reply
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- [Saving Brinton] fascinated filmmakers Tommy Haines, John Richard and Andrew Sherburne and should charm countless others as well.Reply