New film documents the lives of 20 ordinary Wichitans

By the time filming wrapped for “Wichita, USA,” last summer, there were more than 40 hours of footage to sift through.

Filmmakers Amber Vogts and Matthew Wilder – ex-Wichitans now living in New Orleans – set about to edit their Wichita-themed film. Local filmmaker Saad Syed also worked on the project.

The 45-minute film will premiere at a screening to be hosted at Barleycorn’s on Feb. 1. It’s sponsored by the Tallgrass Film Association.

The movie highlights more than 20 Wichitans from many different walks of life – intended to showcase the diversity of the city, Vogts said.

“We just wanted to see a different side of Wichita, meet people we wouldn’t ordinarily meet,” she said. “I think Wichita’s very spread out, and you can kind of stay in your own little area if you want to. We just made an effort to try to talk to different people and get their stories.”

The filming began at last year’s Riverfest – traditionally the city’s largest melting-pot event – and concluded in September, just before Vogts and Wilder moved to Louisiana.

The videographers – who both have experience producing videos for Koch Industries – interviewed Wichitans at a wide assortment of events, ranging from Trump rallies to gay-pride parades. The goal, they say, was to paint as accurate a portrait of the city as possible, Wilder said.

“While they may have looked different or had different opinions on things, they shared a lot of the same desires and passions and emotions,” Wilder said. “They just ended up using those emotions in different ways. If there’s a common thread, it’s just that they’re all people.”

“A majority” of the people interviewed for the film are planning on attending the screening at Barleycorn’s next week, Vogts said.

After its debut at Barleycorn’s, “Wichita, USA” will be uploaded online for free viewing, Wilder said. He said he prefers that to submitting the film to the festival circuit.

“The messages and the voices you hear in the documentary are important, and they are worth listening to anytime – not just whenever Tallgrass is going on ... or over a weekend in some small enclave in the hills of Utah,” he said, referring to the Sundance Film Festival. “This is a documentary for someone to watch on the toilet or in their bedroom or at work, when they’re trying to avoid doing work.

“It’s not an exclusive thing.”

The film will also feature music from local band Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy.

The screening of “Wichita, USA” is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Barleycorn’s, 608 E. Douglas. It’s free.

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 2:45 PM with the headline "New film documents the lives of 20 ordinary Wichitans."