SPRING CITY — Spring City residents are enthusiastic about “Life Under The Horseshoe,” airing on KJZZ-TV Sunday at 6:30 p.m., according to a news submission from Metamora Films describing its latest documentary.
The documentary short, directed and produced by Matt Duhamel and his wife, Heather, is both historic and entertaining, the submission said, while focusing on Spring City’s unique past and paying tribute to the town’s live, stage radio show.
Film interviews include Mark and Vicki Allen, on their interesting but opposite family histories; and Lawrence and Lana Gardner, as current owners of Spring City’s historical Victory Hall, the 100-year-old restored vaudeville theater on Main Street. Duhamel includes a reenactment scene of “Spit & Whittle” Avenue in the film, where Charlie (1885-1936), son of Simon Beck, had a bench that the women of the town called the “Bummer’s Bench.”
“Transforming hearts and minds through film” is the mission of Matt Duhamel’s independent film company, Metamora Films, based near Salt Lake City.
Earlier this year, Duhamel released his feature documentary, “The Forgiveness Journey,” which looks at the process of forgiveness through religious and spiritual leaders’ perspectives and personal stories. Among those, the filmmaker’s own struggle in rebuilding a relationship with his teenage daughter, Maddie.
“With the film ‘Life Under The Horseshoe,’ we tone down the emotion a little and just have fun,” Duhamel said. “I started my career in Idaho as a radio disc jockey, so when I heard of Spring City’s stage radio show, I knew I wanted to do a story on it.”
The film was officially released Nov. 21 to an excited Spring City audience inside Victory Hall. With about 100 people in attendance, the film premier also featured live music from Mark and Vicki Allen and local bluegrass bands.
According to the filmmaker’s news submission, Metamora Films hopes the attention the film is receiving, especially from KJZZ-TV, will help to syndicate the stage radio show for a broader, national audience similar to NPR’s, “Prairie Home Companion.”
For more information on Metamora Films, please visit its website.