A movie set and filmed in Southeast Missouri premiered at the Perry Park Center theater on Sunday, June 14.
Promiseland, filmed in Perry and Cape Girardeau counties in 2022, was written by Erik Harper, and produced by Spirit of Life Films, an independent film studio based in Atlanta. The movie was filmed entirely in southern Missouri, with many scenes being filmed in Perryville. Film sites in Perry county included the courthouse and surrounding streets, a local farm and lake in Frohna, and the Missouri National Veterans Memorial. Some scenes were also filmed at Tractors Classic American Grill in Jackson.
The film is described on the production company’s website as “a modern day patriotic tale of a midwestern family fractured by political and moral beliefs, in which three generations of men battle for connection while one begins his journey to form a nationwide militia.”
Director Shanalyna Palmer said the film could have been set and filmed anywhere in the country, but it was important to her that it took place on a farm in middle America and was shot at a real farm and not on a set.
“To me that sort of symbolized the heartland of America. I mean, we could have taken the film and just did it in a house in the city. It would have been a different film, but we could’ve still made the film without coming to Perryville, but we wanted the heartland,” Palmer said. “You guys had a farm which was awesome. It has a history that goes back to one of the original owners of the farm, which is something you can’t make up or create.”
Palmer added that being able to film in a small town also helped production by making the project more affordable with the help of Film Friendly Perryville, a local organization that helps independent film makers scout shooting locations in the area.
“In California or Atlanta this film would not have been able to be made because we wouldn’t be able to afford it,” Palmer said. “You need a permit to do every single thing, and they are not film friendly anymore. They are working to change that, but until they do we still want to make movies and tell stories, and we are happy that Perryville was able to let us film here.”
Harper said when he wrote the film, he envisioned it as the pilot episode of a streaming series, and other than the showing at the Park Center, it will not be released as it is still being sent to networks for consideration. He said his hope is to bring the project back to the area for further filming if they are able.
