American Mormon
Encyclopedia
American Mormon is a 2005 comedic documentary (starring Daryn Tufts and Jed Knudsen) that takes a humorous and touching look at the real life misconceptions (and understandings) concerning the faith and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
of American Mormon, were continually surprised and amused by the misconceptions many people appeared to share concerning the LDS faith. Believing this to be a fascinating and worthwhile subject matter for a documentary, the two men began traveling across the United States, armed with nothing more than a digital video camera and microphone.
American Mormon was shot in Washington D.C., New York City
, New Orleans, Memphis
, Las Vegas
, Los Angeles
and other locations. Tufts, on camera, approached random people. Upon their consent, Tufts interviewed these people, “man on the street” style with one objective: find out what people across the United States know about the Mormons
.
The goal was to approach subjects in a random and non-biased fashion. Tufts did not reveal to his subjects that he was LDS, nor did he tell them that they would be discussing the LDS faith, or Mormons, on camera. The idea was to get interviews that were not only honest, but spontaneously honest. The interviewees were not preached to. However, Tufts and Knudsen found themselves engaged with many people, off camera, who wanted to learn factual information about the LDS faith. After several weeks of traveling and shooting, Tufts and Knudsen began to compile the footage which would become a comedic cross-section of people from all over the country.
in 2005. The film was unique in that it was both the first documentary and straight-to-DVD release of its kind to the LDS cinema market. American Mormon became an instant success with audiences, eventually grossing over forty times its production budget.
during the fall of the Berlin Wall
and a visit to the Gadfield Elm Chapel
, the oldest LDS chapel on earth, in Herefordshire, England.
Background and Plot
Tufts and Knudsen, who also act as producersFilm producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of American Mormon, were continually surprised and amused by the misconceptions many people appeared to share concerning the LDS faith. Believing this to be a fascinating and worthwhile subject matter for a documentary, the two men began traveling across the United States, armed with nothing more than a digital video camera and microphone.
American Mormon was shot in Washington D.C., New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New Orleans, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and other locations. Tufts, on camera, approached random people. Upon their consent, Tufts interviewed these people, “man on the street” style with one objective: find out what people across the United States know about the Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
.
The goal was to approach subjects in a random and non-biased fashion. Tufts did not reveal to his subjects that he was LDS, nor did he tell them that they would be discussing the LDS faith, or Mormons, on camera. The idea was to get interviews that were not only honest, but spontaneously honest. The interviewees were not preached to. However, Tufts and Knudsen found themselves engaged with many people, off camera, who wanted to learn factual information about the LDS faith. After several weeks of traveling and shooting, Tufts and Knudsen began to compile the footage which would become a comedic cross-section of people from all over the country.
Reception
American Mormon was released by Excel Entertainment GroupExcel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Deseret Book Co. best known for its distribution of many pieces of LDS cinema. Excel Entertainment Group's products deal thematically with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including Forever Strong , Midway to Heaven , Saints and Soldiers...
in 2005. The film was unique in that it was both the first documentary and straight-to-DVD release of its kind to the LDS cinema market. American Mormon became an instant success with audiences, eventually grossing over forty times its production budget.
American Mormon in Europe
Upon the success of the documentary, Excel partnered with Tufts and Knudsen to produce a sequel. For it, the two men traveled all over Western Europe, including Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Their goal this time was to find out what people from different parts of the world knew about the Mormons. However, Tufts and Knudsen also decided to add a new element to this documentary. All over Europe, the two men also talked, on camera, with members of the LDS faith to document the experiences of people who are members of the LDS church outside of the United States. This included an in-depth discussion with LDS members who lived in West and East BerlinEast Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
during the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
and a visit to the Gadfield Elm Chapel
Gadfield Elm Chapel
The Gadfield Elm Chapel near the village of Pendock in Worcestershire, England, is the oldest extant chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, the oldest LDS chapel on earth, in Herefordshire, England.