*Press Release*
A premiere of the documentary film, The Last Champion, will be held on July 5th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre in Keokuk, Iowa.
The feature length documentary is a unique retelling of the
Civil War. It focuses upon the western theater of the war and
the making of the celebrated general U.S. Grant. The film examines
the famous Vicksburg Campaign in 1863 where General Grant earned
the recognition of President Lincoln. This recognition led to
Grant's promotion as overall commander of the Union Army. After
taking this command, Grant moved east to face Confederate General,
Robert E. Lee. After a year of fighting, Grant was able to force
Lee to surrender and end the Civil War. The Union's victory and
the rise of U.S. Grant himself, who would later become President,
diminished the power of the individual states and set the course
for the United States to become the leading nation in the world.
U.S. Grant was the man who ended Civil War. What would have happened
had Grant failed in his campaign to capture the Confederate fortress
city of Vicksburg and with it the Mississippi River? The campaign
to win Vicksburg was not a large battle. By the time U.S. Grant
reached the river city, he had basically won the campaign. All
that remained was a drawn out siege that symbolically ended on
July 4th, 1863. The Campaign's primary battle happened about twenty
miles outside of Vicksburg at a place called Champion Hill on
May 16th, 1863. The Battle of Champion Hill, is the true heart
of the Vicksburg Campaign. It is here that the South had a real
chance to defeat U.S. Grant and send him into permanent obscurity.
Grant's decisions and quick initiative earned him the victory.
He chased the Confederates back into Vicksburg. The confederates
eventually surrendered the city and their army as well as the
control of the entire Mississippi River itself. The Battle of
Champion Hill, the heart of the Vicksburg Campaign, despite its
national significance, has been nearly forgotten since the Civil
War. The land has been held by the Champion family since before
the War. An unbroken line of Sid Champions has owned the property
and made it unavailable for the most part to the general public.
Consequently there has been very little scholarship done on the
battleground. Few people therefore understand Champion Hill's
importance within the Vicksburg Campaign and its impact upon U.S.
Grant's career.
The Last Champion breaks open this story. Sid Champion the Vth agreed to share his land, his family's story, and himself, with the filmmakers. For the first time, the general public is treated to the story of this important battle. The viewer will also hear about the rise of U.S. Grant and the importance of the Western Theater in the Civil War. The conclusion of this film is that the war was won in the west and ended in the east. This view, shared by many scholars is not widely taught or part of our American popular culture. Whatever the reasons, it cannot be denied that U.S. Grant was made in the west. He was the general who ended the war in the east. His actions in the west, particularly in the Vicksburg Campaign and the little known battle at Champion Hill, therefore deserve a recognized place in American culture.
The Last Champion is told through the eyes of a Union soldier descendent, Chris Schevers. He and his ancestor, Henri Schevers, were from the Iowa, river town of Keokuk. Henri Schevers had made his way down the Mississippi River as part of Grant's army. He fought in the Vicksburg Campaign. After the War, he returned to Keokuk. Chris Schevers had moved to Mississippi shortly after high school. Coincidentally he lived near Vicksburg. He began to do research into his ancestor and the campaign. This research inevitably led him to Champion Hill. Chris realized the significance of this battlefield and its lack of recognition. He arranged a tour with Sid Champion and instigated this documentary. The two of them became friends. Chris eventually introduced Sid to the Civil War Preservation Trust. Sid Champion and the C.W.P.T. came to an agreement in 2007. For the first time in its history, the battlefield land will be regularly opened for public tours. This historic transition is covered in the film.
The filming itself took three years. The crew ended up going all around the country and gained an unimagined education on the Civil War. They visited nearly all of the significant battlefields, the birthplaces and burial sites of Grant, Lincoln, Davis, & Lee, etc. They were granted interviews with dozens of historians and different politicians. The Last Champion rivals any Civil War documentary made in regard to the caliber and amount of interview subjects. Three Pulitzer Prize winners are among those featured, including James McPherson, considered by many to be the most prolific, living writer on the Civil War. Edwin Bearss, the Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service is also featured. Bearss is the country's most famous history guide and has appeared in numerous documentaries. The Last Champion also is dedicated to his late wife, Margie, a noted historian herself, who grew up near Champion Hill. She passed away shortly after finishing a book on the Champion family in 2006. An interview is included in the film.
The Last Champion is directed, written and narrated by Jon Hazell. Jon grew up with Chris in Washington, Iowa. Jon has directed several different projects. This is his largest work to date. Phill Manke is the Assistant Director and lead Cinematographer and Editor. Larye Thompson is the Executive Producer and Patrick Hazell wrote the score for the film. All of the primary contributors for The Last Champion are from Iowa. The film was edited in Burlington, Iowa at High Depth Productions. The Last Champion also received funding from the Iowa Humanities Board. The film owes its conception to many people, especially the Schevers family. They believed in the importance of telling this story and stood by it through the three years of its making. It is for this reason that The Last Champion is premiering in Keokuk, Iowa, the hometown of the Schevers family. It is being held on the July 4th weekend in accordance with U.S. Grant's famous victory in Vicksburg. A reception will follow the screening. Patrick Hazell, among others will be performing. Sid Champion and Chris Schevers will be traveling up from Mississippi to attend the event and will be on hand at the premiere and the reception. High Depth Productions is currently working to release The Last Champion nationwide. High Depth Productions is working with Grasshorse Animation Studios to include animated maps, titles, and web development. Grasshorse recently came from California to relocate their company in Iowa in large part because of the 2007 Film Tax Credit legislation. High Depth Productions will also be working with the Washington D.C. based marketing and public relations firm, Market Experts, to brand the film and assist in distribution and promotion. Updates on future developments will be available on the website.
Check the website www.lastchampion.com in the next few weeks
for more information or call 319 850 8063 or 309 836 3501 for
more information. Tickets $7.00 in advance, $10.00 at door.