International Competition

For nine months, directors (and brothers) Turner and Bill Ross focused their lenses on the people of their hometown, Sidney, Ohio. Named for Sidney’s zip code, the resulting documentary zigzags across town boundaries and generational lines to encompass a cast of inhabitants who are characters in their own right. At the Shel- by County Fair, Elvis Jr. sings his heart out in a downpour, while a middle-aged mom and her son bicker over their shared pot-smoking habit. Before the big game, the Yellow Jackets – the local high-school football team – recite The Lord’s Prayer. As a hub for townsmen, the barber shop thrives on buzz cuts and gossip. Radio station WMVR’s disk jockey – who narrates the film in matter-of-fact sound bites – says it all: Life here is ‘simply the way it should be.’