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English Valleys grad premieres documentary in What Cheer
WHAT CHEER — Nascent filmmaker Jacob Glandon estimates that more than 200 people saw his first official documentary during its premiere weekend last month at the What Cheer opera house.
That’s equivalent to one third of the town’s population.
Saturday night’s crowd was bigger than Friday night’s, Glandon said, “which surprised me, as I thought the opening night would bring more people.
“We are actually planning on another freewill showing soon at another venue,” Glandon said. He hopes to have DVD copies available soon.
Glandon grew up in Webster, a town of fewer than 100 people in Keokuk County, west of South English. He graduated from English Valleys school district in 2019, attended Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa and graduated from William Penn University in Oskaloosa in May with a Bachelor of Arts degree in video production.
“I wanted to do something with photography, actually,” said Glandon. His professor suggested a photo essay of What Cheer, a city of 600 people southwest of Webster that flourished as a coal mining town.
Glandon met with a man in What Cheer who owns property that used to be mined. The man unfurled What Cheer’s history for the college student. “I realized there was really no way to convey that through photos or a photo essay,” Glandon said. He decided to create a documentary.
“It’s about the history of What Cheer … and the changes that the town and the people have gone through,” said Glandon. “So it really starts off with how What Cheer got its name.”
“What Cheer: Coal, Clay & Community” explains that What Cheer is more than a former coal mining town. It explores the clay product factory, the opera house, churches and the Freedom Rock in addition to the coal, said Glandon.
“I think I want to keep doing documentary-style productions. Whether that’s short form or long form, I don’t know yet,” Glandon said before the premiere.
He’s already finished shooting his second, a look at a river circus that motored down the Mississippi River on a raft, performing for residents in towns along its banks. “I covered them from Clinton to LeClaire to Davenport with a friend, Oliver Crocker,” Glandon said.
Glandon’s documentaries will probably lean more toward people than places, he said, but nothing is off the table. “Anything that really interests me is something I want to explore,” he said. “I have some stuff I’m looking to for the future.”
Glandon’s photos and video clips, produced under the name Black Oak Films, can be seen on YouTube. His photography and information about the What Cheer documentary can be found online at jacobglandon.com.
