Blog Tour, Interview & Giveaway: Out of Liberty Movie Trailer

Movie Synopsis

Winter 1839. LIBERTY, MISSOURI. Local jailer, Samuel Tillery (Jasen Wade) is tasked with watching Missouri's most wanted men as they await their upcoming hearing. Caught between the local Missourians' increased drive to remove the prisoners, and the prisoners' desperate efforts to survive, Tillery is pushed beyond what any lawman can endure. Based on actual recorded accounts, Out of Liberty is an intense, evocative western, with an outcome you have to see to believe.

Q&A with Movie Director Garrett Batty

Where did the concept come from for Out of Liberty?

I love a good Western, and I've wanted to do one for a while. The events at Liberty Jail involve a triangle of conflict between the jailer, the mob and the prisoners. It seemed like an intriguing plot to explore.  Amidst some of the better known occurrences were attempted jailbreaks, repeated appeals to the legal system and an impromptu court hearing. With 1830’s Missouri as a setting, it’s the perfect backdrop for a powerful western.

What is the inspiration behind the story? 

OUT OF LIBERTY is based on the true events that happened at Liberty Jail in 1839.  Mob rule and public opinion collided with religious liberties and expressions of faith.  It led to a conflict that escalated beyond what either side wanted. Today, with ever-present social media and opinionated commentators stirring up reactions and attacks toward any differing belief, the similarities felt very relevant.  Fortunately, we see in both cases, that principled individuals, dedicated to the good of society, can make a difference.

Any learning moments you want to share?

Any film presents opportunities for learning moments. Whether in the research phase, fundraising phase, production, post, or distribution, I’m always learning more and more about the process.  One lesson that relates specifically to OUT OF LIBERTY was learning to respect the humanness of whom the story is about.  Often I read historical accounts, but fail to recognize that they are written about real people, who deal with the same human hopes, dreams, faith and fears that I go through.  So I learned to not only show their actions, but to help the audience understand the human emotion that was driving their actions.  So in a moment of weakness, when Sydney Rigdon (Brock Roberts) doesn’t live up to my expectations, appreciating his humanness helps me to be more understanding of his actions.

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