Source: http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star ... 0f503.html

Sun Prairie native works on documentary about ethical Bosnian motorcycle club

By Tamar Myers | Lifestyle Editor |

A filmmaker from Sun Prairie is in the final stages of working on a documentary about a motorcycle club in Bosnia and Herzogivina with an unexpected humanitarian mission.

Kevin Ripp, who graduated from Sun Prairie High School in 1993, was the writer and executive producer of the documentary.

Ripp attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and upon graduation moved to London and then Chicago, where he worked as a freelance writer. While he was traveling in Bosnia in 2009, a mutual friend connected Ripp with filmmaker Shawn Convey who was at the beginning stages of starting the documentary. The two began working together when Convey moved to Chicago.

Among Wolves follows The Wolves, a humanitarian motorcycle club in the mountain town of Livno. Twenty years after Bosnia’s civil war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, poverty and political corruption still linger in the region.

Lija, a former paramilitary leader, heads a motorcycle club made up of other veterans. In contrast with similar motorcycle groups, The Wolves focuses on improving the community through charity and humanitarian work.

“They’re very serious men, they’re a real motorcycle club,” Ripp said. “But they are choosing to use the club to do good work and live with honor and take care of their community.”

The club targets some of their efforts toward preserving and protecting a herd of wild horses near Livno. The number of horses diminished when their home became a battleground of the war, and their lives have been further threatened by urbanization, a harsh environment and poachers. The Wolves watch over the herd and have helped pass legislation to protect the horses.

Ripp helped Convey fundraise to spend eight months filming the documentary, and also traveled to Bosnia for part of the production. There, he said he gained a better understanding of the country from spending time in the small village and interacting with the people. This is Ripp’s first documentary.

The documentary is what the filmmakers are calling “the final lap,” the post-production and editing that will prepare the film to prepare at Fall 2015 festivals. Ripp said the film is close to completion, but not raising enough funds for festivals could put the future of the film in doubt.

“It’s not a dream anymore, it’s a real thing,” Ripp said.

To finish in time to meet the deadlines of these festivals, the documentary is raising funds through Kickstarter, with a deadline of Sunday, May 31.

Many Americans do not have much knowledge of Bosnia, and those who do “picture this war-torn region,” Ripp said.

“When I told people that I really enjoyed traveling through Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia they hear the word ‘Bosnia’ and they’re like, ‘oh why would you go there?’” Ripp said. “Hopefully that’s something our film can help answer to by showing how beautiful the terrain is and how great the people are,”

Ripp said above all he was surprised by the “pride and resilience of the people.” The people he met, he said, have received little support from the government, and have taken it upon themselves to support their community.

For more information, and to donate to the Kickstarter, visit amongwolvesfilm.com.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/96 ... escription

About this project

After several years of hard work and dreaming, our film is coming together beautifully, and we are almost finished!
We need your help with the final edit and postproduction costs.

Funding now is crucial 1) to make sure we don't fail on the final lap and 2) to finish in time to premiere at the best film festivals in the US and internationally. There is a lot of interest in the film. But if we don't hit those deadlines for a major premiere, it hurts us for theaters, broadcast, streaming, and getting it out to the world. Help us to the finish line and a successful premiere! We are so close.

THE STRUGGLE
When war correspondents move on to their next conflict, a more personal struggle is just beginning for those left behind. Poverty, PTSD, and political corruption continue to stifle recovery nearly 20 years after the brutal civil war in Bosnia Herzegovina. Luckily for some in the small mountain town of Livno, an unorthodox leader has emerged, giving struggling veterans and their community an unlikely path to healing.

THE MOTORCYCLE CLUB
A paramilitary leader at the young age of 20, Lija led the successful defense of the town while neighbors fell to the invading forces. Today, he heads the Wolves, a motorcycle club that resembles the stereotype in rough image only. Under his leadership, this wild crew has become a positive force for good with a self-defined humanitarian focus.

THE WILD HORSES
One mission, captures their spirit more than any other. In the mountains where they once fought, they now defend a herd of wild horses that society has similarly deemed expendable. A harsh environment, poachers, and urbanization continually threaten the herd. Stirred by their strength, the Wolves are determined to control their own fate and finally emerge from the shadows of war.

SO CLOSE
AMONG WOLVES is so close to being in theaters…the initial generous round of funding in 2013 paid for the majority of the ridiculous footage and access that makes up the film. Now it’s time to finish it… the final lap.

FINISHING FUNDS
Though most of the team has been working free for years, happily, but we need to pay the people that get it ready for the big screen. That means post-production, color correction, sound, etc. It’s not cheap, but with your help we can make this the gorgeous, immersive, and cinematic film we’ve always wanted to show the world.

If you can't contribute financially, please spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, your blog. Every little bit helps, and we will be forever grateful.

STRETCH GOAL You might notice that our cost breakdown is $6225 more than our goal. Well, we have been infinitely lucky to have many people volunteering their time to get this thing made. And we would like to pay them something. That is the extra $6225… the rest is just all bare, naked cost of getting it onscreen. We will also have some pretty amazing stuff available for anyone that helps us get there.