On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, photographers Kurt Gerber and his son, Nick Gerber, will preview a feature doc they made traveling on motorcycles through the cities and towns of Historic Route 66 to welcome home veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 105-minute cut of “Operation Route 66” — their “thank you to those who have protected our freedoms” — will screen Wednesday at a party at Ovation Chicago.
Kurt Gerber, of 41 Degrees North Films in the West Loop, says he and Nick started their journey when they realized, starkly, that none of the people they knew had served in the military, in wars that have been waging for almost 15 years.
“We set out to find veterans and learn about their experiences, how they’re doing and what it was like coming home,” says Gerber, a former commercial advertising and editorial photographer who switched to wedding photography a decade ago.
The Gerbers began their journey at Historical Route 66’s official starting point at Michigan Ave. and Adams St. and followed its diagonal path through the Southwest, to Springfield, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and ended in Santa Monica.
Route 66 was chosen, says Gerber, “because it’s America’s connecting road that travels through America’s smaller cities and towns, where we could get a good pulse of those who served their country.”
To locate veterans, they placed ads in publications in places along the route, and on Craig’s List, and along with word-of-mouth they had veterans waiting for them at specific locations when they arrived.
Accompanying the cyclists by van were DP/editor Louis Holland and associate photographer, Tim Jaroszin, who used Canon DSLR cameras with lavaliere mikes to interview 70 veterans, six of them women, and spectacular on-the-road views of America.
Holland, who spent a full year going through 90 hours of footage, winnowed the interviews down to the seven whose stories are featured in the film.
Music, graphics and visual effects will be included before “Operation Route 66” begins an anticipated one-to-two year festival cycle.
The filmmakers also will screen “Operation” at “warrior support” organizations throughout the country to raise awareness for veterans’ needs and plight.
Gerber estimates production costs of $100,000 to date. Of this amount, $15,000 was raised by an earlier Indiegogo campaign; Sears contributed $10,000 and events yielded $5,000. Donations received at the screening party will be used for a music score and festival fees.
At 2324 W. Fulton; 5:30 p.m. social hour, 7 p.m. screening. The filmmakers extend a warm welcome to veterans and for civilian guests to bring a veteran along.
Admission is free; beer, wine and soft drinks will be served throughout the evening. To attend, RSVP here.
