Kansas: An Eclogue
Independent Storytellers- Patrick Ross, Independent Filmmaker
- Joshua Nathan, Independent Filmmaker
Project Description
KANSAS: An Eclogue will be a full-length documentary film. The project evolved from a walking journey across the state of Kansas by the film’s co-directors, Patrick Ross and Joshua Nathan, independent filmmakers from Kansas, now living in Los Angeles, CA. In more than 35 hours of filmed interviews, they captured stories about rural/small-town Kansas life. The storytellers included Native Americans from five Indian nations linked to eastern Kansas territory, African American descendants of freed slaves who came to Kansas in 1877 to establish the all-black community of Nicodemus in the prairies of north-central Kansas, and Mexican-Americans connected to a Garden City boxing club in southwest Kansas. The resulting documentary film presents a story of Kansas that draws on these primary interviews together as well as depicting the co-directors’ trek, Kansas landscapes, landmarks and other scenes to frame the story, including historical images from various archives. The project has received funding from Humanities Kansas and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Additional funding will be used to strengthen and expand the portions of the documentary addressing diverse histories within Kansas and to develop a digital archive of the interviews conducted during the project.
Project News
“Filmmakers Trek Kansas on Foot for Documentary.” AP NEWS, October 29, 2018, sec. Kansas. https://apnews.com/article/f522bea3d573483ca947db4b870a1708.
Lysen, Dylan. “Locally Produced Film Examines Acceptance of Diversity, Immigration in Garden City.” Lawrence Journal-World, January 13, 2019. https://www2.ljworld.com/living/arts-entertainment/2019/jan/13/locally-produced-film-examines-acceptance-of-diversity-immigration-in-garden-city-community/.
Ogle, Juno. “Filmmakers Hope to Reveal Kansas’ Assets to the World.” The Hays Daily News, November 10, 2018. https://www.hdnews.net/news/20181110/filmmakers-hope-to-reveal-kansas-assets-to-world.
Partner Details
Patrick Ross
Independent Filmmaker
Bio
Patrick Ross is a writer/director, originally from Lawrence, Kansas. Shortly after graduating with a BA in Human Biology and minor in Business from the University of Kansas in 2011, Ross moved to Los Angeles. He soon began working in Hollywood on various studio films and TV projects, most notably as a casting assistant on The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Paterno, and Suburbicon. Ross has written and directed a number of films: Lazarus (a homeless documentary feature); The Elephant (short film) funded by a $30,000 grant from SoldierStrong; Two Lines by Jose Martí (short film) shown at the London Experimental Film Festival; Ozu (short film); Romance Anónimo (short film); and Havasupai (short film).
Joshua Nathan
Independent Filmmaker
Bio
Joshua was raised on a farm in Moundridge, Kansas. He holds a B.G.S. from the University of Kansas, and an MFA as a Directing Fellow from The American Film Institute. Joshua also studied at Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School. After moving from Kansas, he began work in Los Angeles on Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “The Master,” and later other sets, including Anderson’s “Inherent Vice,” and Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” His debut narrative feature film, “The Dreams of Rene Sendam” (writer/director), is slated for release in 2021 by Mutiny Pictures. Joshua works as a director & producer for commercials (clients include New Balance, EA Sports, FanDuel, and Jaybird).