DAVENPORT, Iowa — Two Quad Cities filmmakers are working to record local LGBTQ history. They held a fundraising gala at The Last Picture House Sunday evening.
Helping with the film is a steering committee, advising Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films on who to interview.
Rev. Rich Hendricks is part of the committee and president of Quad Cities Pride in Memory, the nonprofit that approached Fourth Wall Films with the idea.
"There are so many stories in the Quad Cities," Hendricks said. "So many memories of folks and what they’ve done and what they’ve been through."
As a pastor, Hendricks said he hears a lot of life stories.
"We didn't always get them recorded, you know, their story, what happened to them, what they went through, what were their triumphs, you know, their hopes, their dreams," Hendricks said.
Sara Meyer is also on the committee. She's the secretary of Quad Cities Pride in Memory.
"There are also people who grew up, and it wasn't easy. Whether it was just that they would have a hard time accepting themselves or understanding themselves, or maybe they were rejected by family," Meyer said. "Those people, by telling your story, you can validate what they have went through, and how important it was that they came to the other side."
The filmmakers have already started interviewing people for the documentary, but they'll need help from the community to finish the project. Director Kelly Rundle said the film still needs more funding.
"The completion of it is really dependent on funding," Rundle said. "That's why we're here tonight, to work on that."
But the fundraising gala won't just keep the project going.
"It's also a way to spread the word about what we're doing," Rundle said. "Because we're also looking for stories and we're looking for photographs."
If you have stories, photos, documents or artifacts to share, the filmmakers ask that you reach out to them by sending an email to FourthWallFilms@aol.com. You can find donation instructions on their website, and you can follow the project's progress on the Facebook.
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