SXSW Film Preview: 45365

Some of us know all too well what goes on in small-ish Midwestern towns, but for those who have no idea what the heck it’s like to exist in a place where the barber shop is gossip central and a Judge’s re-election is the season’s biggest drama, 45365 will provide a glimpse.

This SXSW Documentary Feature follows a few of the 20,000 people of Sidney, Ohio over a span of nine months. Radio personalities, high school students and regular ol’ folks go about their daily business as the cameras document their highs, lows and everything in between. Filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross do little in the way of interference (no direct interviews or staging); rather, they prefer to sit back and let the stories of the town tell themselves.

As natives of Sidney, the Ross brothers demonstrate an intimate knowledge of the town while maintaining a respectful distance from its goings on. Not a traditionally cohesive story, but much more than a series of snapshots, 45365 (the town’s zip code) takes a sensitive approach to documenting a place where the fascinating and mundane collide.

45365 will have its World Premiere Saturday, March 14 at the Austin Convention Center. For more information, check out the SXSW Film Festival schedule.