Luther’s Johnson, Lurth, Joyce, Ross to be featured for documentary ‘Marieke’

Luther’s Johnson, Lurth, Joyce, Ross to be featured for documentary ‘Marieke’

Luther College Associate Professor of Communication Studies Thomas C. Johnson, along with Aaron Lurth, director of visual media and art instructor, Brooke Joyce, associate professor of music and composer-in-residence, and Jack Ross, Luther class of 2017 and multimedia strategic fellow, will be featured on the Iowa Public Television series “The Film Lounge.”

A watch party for the screening of the two, one-hour episodes is 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at T-Bock’s Sports Bar & Grill, 206 W. Water St., Decorah. The screening is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Released April 1, 2017, “Marieke” explores the life and craft of Marieke Penterman, acclaimed Dutch Gouda cheesemaker from Thorp, Wisconsin. The project was funded with a student/faculty summer research project grant awarded to Ross and Johnson for the summer of 2016. Lurth and Johnson, who had worked together on a previous film, contacted Penterman, who agreed to the filming.

Johnson wrote the script for the seven-minute film. During filming, Lurth was behind the camera, with Ross providing sound recording and Johnson directing. Once the film was edited by Johnson and Ross, Brooke Joyce, Luther College associate professor of music, wrote the accompanying music. Lurth was the colorist.

Since its completion, the documentary has been selected for more than 10 film festivals and is under consideration for a host of others. Highlights include the First Friday Film Festival in Kansas City, Missouri; the Twin Cities Film Festival in St. Louis Park, Minnesota; the Tucson Film and Music Festival in Tucson, Arizona; and the Oregon Short Film Festival in Portland, Oregon.

This is Johnson’s second film to appear on “The Film Lounge.” His documentary “Ironhead” on Decorah iron pour artist Kelly Ludeking was featured on last year’s “The Film Lounge.” Lurth, Joyce and Neal Abbott, Luther class of 2015, worked with Johnson on that film.

Produced by Iowa Public Television with a partnership with the Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa-State Office of Media Production, the series highlights the work of Iowa experimental film makers, as well as the impact these films have on the economy and culture of Iowa. During the episodes, a “sneak peek” of the independent short films will be screened.

The first episode features work from Juan Acuna Esparza, Benjamin Gardner, Aaron Van Maanen and Holden Feagler, Graham Cooper, Nella Thomas and William Locker, and includes a spotlight on Davenport’s Urban Exposure Summer Program. Following a 15-minute intermission, the second episode includes Johnson, Kaitlyn Busbee and Elizabeth June Bergman, P. Sam Kessie, Ruth Mataya Garcia, Jack Meggers and a spotlight on behind the scenes with Play by Play.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the bachelor of arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.