VANISH – Disappearing Icons of a Rural America: Featuring post show Q & A with filmmaker Jim Westphalen

A remarkable story of past and present, Vanish chronicles the “visual preservation” adventures of fine art photographer, Jim Westphalen, as he travels across the country seeking out and creating stunning imagery of America’s disappearing rural structures.

Equal parts art, history and seat of the pants storm chasing, road-trip with Westphalen as he races against time and the unrelenting elements to capture the extraordinary beauty of aging barns, one room schoolhouses, grain elevators, prairie churches and all the classic structures that our country’s rural heritage was built upon. Though many of these evocative relics will eventually surrender to the elements, our film captures firsthand the passionate people who strive and struggle to save these gems, revealing stories of dreams, loss and hope. Featuring a post show Q & A with filmmaker Jim Westphalen. 

About Jim Westphalen 
Vermont fine art photographer, Jim Westphalen, didn’t intentionally set out to become a filmmaker. Westphalen began photographing what he calls, “the beauty in decay” soon after moving to rural Vermont in 1996. At first, it was purely the visual beauty of these withering structures that inspired him, but once he began collecting the rich and very personal stories of these buildings, he recognized the critical historical significance of this mission and that these poignant stories needed to be shared. The logical vehicle in which to do that was a documentary film. The Vanish film has become a way in which to celebrate not only the allure of what these structures have now become, but also a way in which to honor their past and pay tribute to the people who built them.