The Illinois Parables

“At once an experimental documentary, a work of historical excavation and an insistently moral ideological critique.”—New York Times

Made with the support of a 2006–7 Wexner Center Artist Residency Award, Deborah Stratman’s newest film uses the history and landscape of the state of Illinois to explore such varied topics as faith, violence, technology, exodus, freedom, and resistance. Structured as a suite of 11 vignettes, Stratman’s film masterfully combines archival and observational footage, historical reenactment, and a richly layered soundscape to offer a timely consideration of how ideologies and national identity are shaped. The Illinois Parables premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and received the Stan Brakhage Film at Wit’s End award at the 54th Ann Arbor Film Festival. (60 mins., 16mm)