Independent filmmaker LeAnn Erickson will discuss and screen two of her films “Top Secret Rosie” (top) and “I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir,” Thursday, March 6, in SIU’s Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium. (Film images provided by LeAnn Erickson)
February 28, 2025
SIU Carbondale to host documentary filmmaker LeAnn Erickson
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Independent filmmaker LeAnn Erickson will screen and discuss two of her movies on Thursday, March 6, in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Morris Library.
The free, public screening and discussion is from 3-5 p.m. in the library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium. Erickson will have an audience Q&A after the screenings.
“I am excited to welcome this inspiring filmmaker who has masterfully crafted the evocative World War II documentary ‘Top Secret Rosies’ alongside an inventive experimental ‘cartoon memoir’ that blends personal narrative with a compelling LGBTQ+ voice,” said Karla Berry, associate professor in SIU’s School of Media Arts. “The March 6 screening serves as a remarkable platform for media arts students to uncover new creative perspectives, while also welcoming the general public to experience innovative storytelling followed by an engaging Q&A with the filmmaker and media educator.”
Erickson will screen “I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir,” a short documentary that she wrote, directed, animated and edited and co-produced with her son, Jake Rasmussen. She will also share and discuss her 2010 documentary film, “Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII.”
Erickson said she looks forward to sharing the two films, which “demonstrate very different approaches to documentary filmmaking, yet both share personal stories that touch on history and culture.”
“‘I (heart) Jack LaLanne’ is an animated memoir that shares a personal coming out story while also investigating how queer kids find support and role models in some unusual pop culture corners,” Erickson said. “‘Top Secret Rosies’ shares a little-known WWII story of female mathematicians who did secret ballistics research for the U.S. Army and who were instrumental in the development of the first electronic computer. Despite the sweeping nature of this WWII story, the film focuses on the personal stories of regular women who used their unheralded brain power to help win WWII.”
Erickson is a professor of film and video production in Temple University’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, and she has been an independent filmmaker for more than 30 years. Her film work has appeared on public and cable television and in media and art galleries, and she has won national and international recognition at film festivals.
The program is funded by the university’s Fine Arts Activity Fee.