From the silver screen to the television screen, Saving Brinton is being seen in living rooms across the nation. The documentary set mostly in Washington County follows local historian Michael Zahs as he works to preserve and share some of the world’s oldest films in existence. The nitrate films once belonged to Frank and Indiana Brinton and were shown throughout the Heartland in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The 87-minute documentary has been cut down to 52 minutes for Public Television. Zahs tells KCII News that he’s been getting feedback from coast to coast, “We’ve been getting calls and emails really from all over the world. One day last, oh I think it was January 3rd, I heard from people at Kent State University in Ohio, in Florida, in Arizona, and in Washington State who were watching it and just thought it was great. And I had a call over the weekend from a lady in Kansas City who said that she wanted to be my neighbor. Well that’s a film that we were up against for the Academy Award – ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ with Mr. Rogers. But she just liked the film. And a lady in Arizona called and said, ‘I just want you to know, I’m watching the film right now and I want you to know that you have a fan in Arizona.”

It’s television run started January 1st nationally, and is showing on Iowa Public Television this week.

Zahs says they’re also working on arrangements to show the film to the Iowa legislature in February.

Upcoming episodes on Iowa Public Television (World Channel 12-3)
Saving Brinton: America Reframed
January 8 – 8 p.m.
January 9 – 12 a.m.
January 9 – 8 a.m.
January 9 – 2 p.m.
January 12 – 7 a.m.
January 12 – 10 p.m.
January 13 – 2 a.m.
January 13 – 9 a.m.