[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6302]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         AMERICAN FILM COMPANY

  (Mr. DOLD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, recent studies have shown that there is an 
epidemic of historical and political ignorance in our country and that 
an alarming 83 percent of Americans fail a basic test on knowledge of 
the American Revolution and the principles that have united all 
Americans. It is for this reason that I rise today to acknowledge the 
exciting work of the American Film Company, founded in 2008 by 
entrepreneur Joe Ricketts.
  Mr. Ricketts founded the company on the belief that real life is 
often more compelling than fiction, and so he set out to produce films 
about the incredible true stories from America's past. Central to the 
company's filmmaking are prominent historians, assuring that each 
production remains true and historically accurate.
  As a resident of the great State of Illinois, I was pleased that the 
first film produced by the American Film Company was ``The 
Conspirator,'' which tells the true story of Mary Surratt, the lone 
woman accused of participating in the conspiracy to assassinate 
President Abraham Lincoln. Fittingly, the film premiered last Sunday at 
Ford's Theater.
  I commend the American Film Company for finding an entertaining way 
to encourage and educate Americans about our country's important 
history, and I congratulate Mr. Ricketts as well.

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