SXSW is just around the corner, which is good news for non-fiction fans. There’s always a great selection of films that end up getting their start at the festival. This year, it seems like some of the early buzz is already building, and a seemingly mundane and cleverly simple trailer for a film called ’45365′ has people asking ‘is this boring?’. I submit that no, this is not boring. It is life! (Ah, but isn’t life boring? At the moment, yes.) Here’s the official synopsis:
Shot over the course of 9 months in Sidney, Ohio, 45365 follows the lives of a cross section of the towns residents as their storylines coalesce into a mosaic of faces, places, and events. A Judge’s race for re-election, the County Fair, the Barber Shop, the retirement home, a football team, a father and son, a young relationship, arrest and sentencing are all explored in this sweeping survey of life in a small town.
The title refers to the zip code for Sidney, Ohio. Not only is this the location of the film; it IS the film. Turner Ross and co-director Bill Ross have decided to take an in-depth look at this small American town, focusing on the everyday stories of the people, creating an interesting opportunity to hit multiple commercially marketable stories in one film. You’ve got the high school football element (thank you Friday Night Lights), the coming of age teen story (thank you American Teen) and the small town quirk (thank you Vernon, Florida. Okay, maybe not so commercially marketable). Based on this trailer though, I don’t think commercial appeal is high on the Ross’ brothers/cousins/father and son’s list of priorities. It’s a simple case of creating a story out of what seems to be nothing; which makes the film that much more of an accomplishment when people walk out of the theatre shocked at how entertained they were by something so seemingly boring. Something that worked quite well for Gary Hustwig with Helvetica and likely with his follow up, Objectified. Check out the trailer below.
Loved the trailer,will pass this on to Sidney Friends.
Best of luck
Holly Urbanc
Great Stuff, its great that the ross family is using their talents to serve the community that gave them their upbringing
I loved this trailer, especially the kids running in their Halloween costumes. Can’t wait.
This is my first visit to your site and it will definitely be bookmarked. I love documentaries and you cover them well on your site.
I live in Ohio, so this looks like it might be an interesting flick for that reason as well. Thanks for sharing!
Saw the 45365 sxsw premier. The film really plays like a love letter to their home. They did a really nice job unlocking the beauty of this small town.
Objectified was a visually stunning and thought provoking film. However the consensus around Austin seems to be that people prefer Helvetica.
I’m currently writing my review of 45365. Expect it in the next couple of days.
[...] The Golden Egg. This Year, Law did the sound design, and did a beautiful job I might add, on the feature length documentary 45365. It’s profiles a small town called Sidnie, Ohio. It’s done in a very different [...]
That was great! Reminds me of the Napoleon Dynomite movie…But very enjoyable nonetheless….thank you.
I just saw 45365 Saturday morning (9.26.2009)at Sidewalk Fest in Birmingham. As I left the theatre I said “If I don’t see another film this weekend, it will still be worth it.” It is mesmerizing and special. I ended up seeing lots of good movies at Sidewalk but this is still my favorite.
Sidney, Ohio… Is my hometown! I was born and raised there. I really like this movie, it shows a lot of what it is like there. A great place for families to live. My relatives have been around there since the 1920s so, I have family, and friends all over the city, and the county. The Ross brothers, are sons of two teachers, I had both of them at different times of my schooling. Their father was my cross-country coach, and his wife taught me in middle school. I can’t say enough about them… I see why their sons got their inspiration to make this film.