Dubuque Filmmaker’s New Documentary is Coming to Theaters This Month

A Dubuque native is prepping for the exclusive one-night-only premiere of his new documentary, which will be shown at the local Phoenix Theatres in town on Tuesday, January 23rd.

The new documentary, called A Case for Love, has Dubuque native Brian Ide exploring the concept of "unselfish love." Ide was faced with the idea of unselfish love at an Episcopalian Church conference in the spring of 2020. It was when grappling with Bishop Michael Curry, a focal point of the doc, and his message that we, as human beings as opposed to Christians, need to live with unselfish love.

Below is the plot description for A Case for Love, per IMDb:

An investigation into how Bishop Michael Curry's teachings of unconditional, sacrificial love are applied in the wider community. Also interviews with well-known personalities and common people. - per IMDb

Telegraph Herald caught up with Ide, who is the founder of Grace-Based Films, a production company predicated on producing and sharing stories that detail faith and inspiration. After growing up in Dubuque, Ide moved to Los Angeles where he now lives with his wife, son, and daughter.

A Case for Love examines the idea of unselfish love, which is defined as an altruistic form of love underscored by selflessness, compassion, and genuine concern for others' well-being. Judging from the trailer, the film obtains insights from regular people and noteworthy figures such as Morning Show Host Al Roker and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The COVID-19 pandemic stalled the original iteration of the project, but a renewed interest from people from the aforementioned church conference got Ide to resume work on it in 2021, Ide told the Telegraph Herald:

It’s a unique project. Most films are pre-scripted. You know what actors are going to say. Docs are very different. The creation of this was a collection of stories, and we didn’t really know what we’d find. You really are at the mercy of anything and everything. - Brian Ide, per Telegraph Herald

Ide reflected upon his childhood in Dubuque, where he worked as a film projectionist whilst in high school as well as at Cinema Center during his college years.

Growing up here was an incredibly formative part of my life. So having this film come back to Dubuque means a lot to me. I’m very grateful for that unique period [in my life] - per Telegraph Herald

A Case for Love will screen twice at Phoenix Theatres in Dubuque on Tuesday, January 23rd, with one showtime at 4pm and another at 7pm. The film runs one hour and 55 minutes. For more information on tickets and showtimes, you can visit Phoenix Theatres' website. For more information on the film, visit A Case for Love's official website.