"Bellwether" is a story about ordinary people living in an extraordinary time. As we follow five Iowans, we’ll explore how politics intersects with the culture of Iowa and affects the lives of our subjects.
Our film will follow salt-of-the-earth Midwesterners who take their civic duties seriously. Lifelong Democrats, dedicated Republicans, and no-party voters who refuse to decide their vote until they’ve heard every candidate speak.
We will follow our characters from the Iowa State fair all the way to their caucus precinct as they cast their vote, and everything in between - from daily routine, to family celebrations, and holidays.
Why now? America is at a crossroads. Many Americans are questioning what it means to be a democracy and whether or not the American democratic experiment can survive in this new age of election hacking, deepfakes, and big data. Our democracy has never been more vulnerable.
But there is a place in America where the roots of democracy hold strong, where people still literally stand for their beliefs - that place is the Iowa caucus.
