Storm Lake

2021

1h 25m

Documentary

List

89%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

Dark clouds hang over the cornfields of Storm Lake, Iowa, which has seen its fair share of change in the 40 years since Big Agriculture came to town. Farmers blow their life savings on new equipment they hope will keep their livelihoods intact. Migrant workers flock here--welcome and not--for their slice of the American Dream. The people of Storm Lake confront a changing and precarious existence. Enter: Art Cullen and his family members who deliver local news and editorials on a shoestring budget for their 3,000 readers. This paper means a fighting chance for their beloved hometown, and by hook or by crook, they'll make the most of it. There's simply too much at stake.

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David Rooney

Hollywood Reporter

A vital celebration of the role of community-based news gathering at a time when media revenues are way down and the credibility of the press has taken a hammering across much of the country.

Jun 28, 2021

Full Review

Phil Guie

Film-Forward.com

In some of the most telling moments, we observe the trust between the paper and its readership, even among those with differing political opinions who nevertheless rely on it to keep up on whats happening in the community.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 17, 2022

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

Storm Lake is an understated but urgent paean to old-fashioned local journalism as vital to the lifeblood of the communities it serves.

Dec 6, 2021

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Ricardo Gallegos

Shuffle Online

A pleasant documentary that focuses on the power of journalism to create change.

Nov 12, 2021

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Stephen Silver

Broad Street Review

Not much of what Storm Lake has to stay about the plight of newspapers is particularly new at this point, but Art Cullen proves a fantastic documentary protagonist

Rated: 4/5

Oct 29, 2021

Full Review

Evan Dossey

Midwest Film Journal

Touching documentary about the importance of a dying profession.

Oct 26, 2021

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Jerry Risius

Director

Beth Levison

Director

Art Cullen

Actor

Beth Levison

Producer

Katy Drake Bettner

Executive Producer

Sam Bisbee

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Dark clouds hang over the cornfields of Storm Lake, Iowa, which has seen its fair share of change in the 40 years since Big Agriculture came to town. Farmers blow their life savings on new equipment they hope will keep their livelihoods intact. Migrant workers flock here--welcome and not--for their slice of the American Dream. The people of Storm Lake confront a changing and precarious existence. Enter: Art Cullen and his family members who deliver local news and editorials on a shoestring budget for their 3,000 readers. This paper means a fighting chance for their beloved hometown, and by hook or by crook, they'll make the most of it. There's simply too much at stake.

Director: Jerry Risius, Beth Levison
Producer: Katy Drake Bettner, Sam Bisbee, Pamela Tanner Boll, Sally Jo Fifer
Production Co: ITVS, Foothill Productions, Park Pictures, Corporation of Public Broadcasting, The Fledgling Fund, Catapult Film Fund, Ford Foundation - Just Films, Good Gravy Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 25m

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