Around Round Barns

Winner of a Frank O'Connor Documentary Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, director Jonathan Mednick's engaging look at a handful of round and polygonal shaped barns in Iowa is a real treat. Built between 1880 and 1920, the round barns examined in this program are both architectural wonders and triumphs of functional ingenuity (as one farmer says, a round barn puts you "right close to your hogs"). Opening with a possibly apocryphal story about the drunkard who stumbles in to one of these barns, and loses his mind trying to find a corner to urinate in, the documentary interviews several present-day Iowa farmers who own round barns. The farmer's stories of days bygone are delightful, and a little sad--in light of the economic realities of today. As beautiful as these barns are, many have already been lost, and the others are in various states of disrepair--with no funds to refurbish them. An excellent independent production that is highly recommended for both public and school libraries. (Available from: I-Video, 3712 Fords Lane, Baltimore, MD 21215).