WHITE LIGHT MEDIA
1114 Jones St #7
Omaha, NE 68102
www.whitelight-media.com

Produced by
Rob Walters and Matt Maginn

for more info please contact:
rob@donderomovie.com

(David Dondero) "One of the best singer/songwriters I've ever heard."
-Bob Boilen, NPR All Songs Considered

SYNOPSIS

Dave Dondero has spent much of his life on the road, his travel providing a rich foundation from which he has carved his narrative. Using music as testament, his songs echo down paths traveled by Jack London, Jack Kerouac, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Dondero’s songs sing a life moving from town to town, girl to girl, job to job, and show to show. At conflict with life’s responsibilities and the (mis)opportunity of what lies around the bend, Dondero’s life and music are often narratives of contradiction. His songs, which reflect the struggle to find hope and meaning in an unpredictable world, have drawn critical acclaim to Dondero, yet the stability of commercial success has eluded him -- often from his own doing. More than once in his career, Dondero has given into his demons, but whether by choice or chance, whether by fear of failure or fear of success, he remains a true artist, refusing to compromise his music in exchange for comfort or greater notoriety. Growing up as a self proclaimed “skinny indie white boy” Dondero, now 38, was adopted at birth by a couple that would divorce only six years later. Without any true home base, he grew accustomed to a life spent on the move. Joining a band, and the itinerant promises that come with it, was a natural fit for him and an outlet to vent some of his childhood frustration. At Clemson University, Dondero joined the indie group Sunbrain, and through subsequent tours he came to meet the musicians and friends who support him to this day. In 1994, the first of many tragedies to come struck Dondero: his girlfriend, Lisa Scott burned herself alive in a house that she and Dondero shared. “To say David was devastated by her death is to put it mildly," says former Sunbrain member Russ Hallauer. "That was his first serious relationship. To lose her in such a horrific way ... it crushed him." Until to that point Dondero's vocal style had been akin to the screams of a classic punk rock singer. But in the months that followed Scott's death, his music underwent a sea change. Putting aggression aside, his songs became hauntingly stark in their simplicity and brutally honest in their narrative. His first studio session following Scott’s death, Dondero showed up drunk and ready to play his first solo acoustic tune, titled "Recover," as in “How can I recover?” "For David,” Hallaer recalls, “that was the turning point," Despite lackluster record sales and a fluctuating fan base, his career is buoyed by one constant: the undying admiration and unyielding support of his musical peers who jump at the chance to collaborate with him. Facing down a business driven by commercialism, Dondero’s music stands as a touchstone of inspiration for many current indie musicians, who are drawn to the simple, direct and emotionally honest style of his songwriting. Whether is it an opening slot on tour with indie giants like Bright Eyes, Spoon or Rilo Kiley, trading cameo appearances on their records, or playing to a almost empty room in any club he can book a show, Dondero is one of those rare living artists whose influence outshines their personal success.

TREATMENT

Through interview, show, and travel footage we will build a narrative of Dondero’s life as told and performed by him and his many collaborators. This content will be bolstered by an archive of Super 8 footage shot over various tours and recording sessions over the last 5 to 6 years. To explore the vast and complicated web of musicians that weave in and out of Dondero’s narrative, we are setting up a series of “reunion shows” in key cities of Dondero’s life, (Clemson, Athens, Wilmington, Pensacola, San Francisco, Omaha, Austin). Each of these cities has served as a “home” in Dondero’s continuous traveling, usually determined by the musicians he can recruit to his cause. In each city we have invited these musicians to reunite, rehearse and play a show with Dondero. In addition to providing a substantive tour of our subject’s personal landmarks, these sessions will give us an invaluable archive of performance material and a unique opportunity to interview those so integral to Dondero’s life and career. Realizing this documentary provides an opportunity to finally confront some of the issues that have lingered with him, Dondero has told us, “If you want to know where this all begins we need to go visit my dad in Alaska.” Our crew will take his advice, documenting the reunion of father and son to reveal how the roots of that complex relationship helped to define the life that would unfold. With these plans in place our crew will begin, meeting Dondero in his current job of driving an 18-wheeler for a traveling carnival company. With many “days off” in between events, the extra time is spent performing at any venue he can book a show. Living out of his truck cab, (“cheaper than a motel”) Dondero has invited us into his “home” to film his travels and conduct interviews. With the musician as our guide, we will chronicle his day to day struggles and his constant balancing act of making art and making a living, experiencing first hand what it means to create art with no expectation beyond the need to express.