Cheeseheads documentary to screen at Weill Center

The filmmaker of Cheeseheads, a new documentary by Wisconsin native John Mitchell screening Jan. 31 at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts, hopes to both educate and entertain with a tale of discovering what it means to be a cheesehead.

“It’s about a guy who, 25 years later, came back to Wisconsin to discover the true meaning of being a cheesehead,” Mitchell said. “I learned that it is a lot of different things. It’s an exceptional state with a lot of great things going on and a lot of great people.”

“Cheeseheads: The Documentary” looks into the deeper meaning of being a cheesehead, well beyond the clichéd notion represented in the media, and discovers that Wisconsin is a place like none other, filled with some of the most hard-working, passionate and generous people on Earth, who are obsessed with beer, cheese and football, especially when all three involve the Green Bay Packers, according to the film's description.

Mitchell, who grew up in Cameron, now splits time between Wisconsin and California. After two decades away from the state, the filmmaker spent time criss-crossing his way across Wisconsin on a journey of self discovery and turned his travels into a documentary highlighting the many things that make Wisconsin great.

"What started out as my journey to discover the cheesehead passion turned into the journey of a lifetime," he said. "This film is an intimate and humorous exploration of that sense of place that makes you who you are, about the amazing people you meet along the way, and about being a part of something bigger than oneʼs self."

Mitchell said at first the film was going to focus on Green Bay Packers fans, but it evolved to be a broader look into the culture of the state.

To create the documentary, Mitchell toured Wisconsin for three years, interviewing hundreds of "cheeseheads" from every corner, some well-known, most not. He shot footage at factories, sports bars and breweries, tailgated and toured museums and met with mayors and politicians throughout the state, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Sen. Ron Johnson, Gov. Scott Walker and even Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler.

The film also features businesses and people from the Sheboygan area, including the Kohler Company, Sargento, Johnsonville, and Pam Hodson, one of only two master cheesemakers in the state, who works at Sartori Cheese.

“One of the first shots I did in Wisconsin, although it didn’t make it in the movie, is I drove into Sheboygan and filmed B-roll of the beautiful hotel on the harbor," Mitchell said. "It didn’t make it in the movie, but one of the first clips I shot of over 100 hours of footage was that.”

The film will screen at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Sheboygan. Attendees are encouraged to "walk the red carpet"  in dress that shows their Wisconsin spirit.

A meet and greet with Mitchell will be held following the movie from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rocca Meeting Room at Mead Public Library. Mitchell will autograph DVDs, which will be on sale for $20 with $5 going to purchase DVDs for public high schools and libraries in Wisconsin.

The "Cheeseheads" Sheboygan premiere screening and after-party are free and open to the public. The screening is sponsored by the Mead Public Library Foundation and the Friends of Mead Public Library. The film is rated PG and is one hour and 52 minutes long.

Reach Phillip Bock: 920-453-5121, pbock@sheboyganpress.com, or @bockling on Twitter

If you go

What: Cheeseheads movie screening

When: 2 p.m. on Jan. 31

Where: Screening at the Stephanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts. After-party to follow at the Mead Public Library

Cost: Free and open to the public

More info: meadpl.org/about/cheeseheads