Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

If you follow this blog at all, you know I was born in Wisconsin and moved to Arizona when I was in my late 20’s. Growing up in the midwest was great. It was a rural existence that harkened back to a simpler, earlier time. When I go back to visit, however, I feel out of touch with contemporary America. As Andreas Horvath discovered during the making of his documentary, the rural “Heartland” remains provincial.

This Ain’t No Heartland won the Grand Prix at this year’s Chicago Documentary Film Festival. He travelled the midwest and recorded conversations about contemporary issues. Some of the comments he records are about terrorism, the Iraq war, and the overall fabric of contemporary life. What emerges most strongly, though, is a staggering degree of ignorance among everyday Americans about the basic meanings of democracy, liberty, and national security. This film is an urgent and alarming wake-up call. The NY Times review offers more details.

The best thing about the 2004 Election (Kerry vs. Bush) is that people are getting involved and becoming more politically aware. There are two AMAZING articles in Vanity Fair this month about politics and the economy. Unfortunately, they don’t put anything online so you’ll have to buy it if you want to read it.