Premiere of Willa Cather: Breaking The Mold
Premiere of Willa Cather: Breaking The Mold
“Willa Cather has long been one of my favorite authors, so I was pleased to share my fondness for her literature in this film. I trust all who watch this new documentary will be captivated by Cather's life and the complex world that inspired the enduring stories conveyed in her fiction.”
– Ken Burns
Willa Cather defies convention. She was both a regional writer and an international literary superstar; her novels and stories transported readers to a lowly frontier dugout or an elegant theater loge with equal adeptness. For more than one hundred years, Cather’s deeply human characters and stories rooted in her own American experience have resonated with readers, and now Cather’s enduring reputation has earned her a place in the National Statuary Hall Collection of the United States Capitol. This short film chronicles Cather’s pursuit of literary acclaim alongside the creation and unveiling of her statue in Washington, D.C. Using archival imagery, Cather’s own words, and observations from contemporary readers and scholars, this documentary invites viewers to revisit and reexamine Cather’s importance to American literature and encourages exploration of her life more fully through literary pilgrimage.
