Rockford Auburn grad's award-winning documentary to have free screening in Beloit

A Rockford Auburn grad's award-winning documentary exploring toxic polarization in the U.S. will be making its Wisconsin premiere May 15 in Beloit.

Kristi Kendall, who went on to work as producer at ABC News 20/20 and executive producer at Fox News/Fox Business after graduating from Rockford's Auburn High School in 1994, is the director, co-screenwriter and co-producer of "UNDIVIDE US."

"The political situation these past few years really kind of started to scare me about what kind of world we're leaving for our kids," Kendall said. "So, I did what a journalist does. I started doing some research."

That research included reading Tony Woodlief's novel, "I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance."

Woodlief describes toxic polarization as a myth created by politicians and the media. Kendall agreed.

"Division sells," she said. "The more that we are sold a story that we can't talk to people who are different than ourselves and that we are hopelessly divided, that's a much more attractive story than the one like, 'The plane safely landed.'

"So, I was like, 'Okay, I've got to make a movie that shows this to people.'"

Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival named the documentary its 2024 Blue Glass Award winner for best documentary feature film.

Kendall is a wife and mother of two children. She attended Maud Johnson Elementary School, West Middle School and Auburn where she was enrolled in the school's Creative and Performing Arts program.

"At Auburn, I was the business manager for the school newspaper," she said. "I wasn't really a journalist, but I did write movie reviews. That was my beat. So, maybe that was some kind of precursor into making films as a career."

The Carleton College economics major began her film career in 1997 interning at ABC News magazine 20/20 in New York where she still resides. She was 24 when she became the show's youngest producer working with television journalist John Stossel.

Later in her career, Kendall made it a priority to work on projects that she believed would help make the world a better place for her children.

"We don't all have to agree, but that doesn't mean we can't talk to one another with respect and courtesy," she said.

"That's how we were founded. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson really didn't like each other and didn't agree on a lot of stuff, but they managed to create a framework for a country that could function really well in disagreement. That's part of our power as Americans."

The advanced free screening of the film will take place at 7 p.m. May 15 at the Classic Cinemas Beloit Theatre, followed by discussion and Q & A.

Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrsrtar.com and X @chrisfgreen.