Algona, Iowa — Filming is scheduled in November, in Kossuth County, for a movie about a World War Two camp near Algona for German prisoners. The movie’s crew was in the area last weekend, scouting possible filming locations. D. J. Perry is the CEO of Collective Development and author of the screenplay for “Silent Night in Algona.”
Perry says they’re looking for homes and buildings that were around 77 years ago — during the fall and early winter of 1944. The crew was in Whittemore and Lone Rock this past weekend, searching for places to film.
The film will focus on a four month period in late 1944 — from September through December.
Lead actors for the film have been cast, but Perry says they’ll be looking for area residents to be extras and assist in other ways.
Perry says filming will take about three weeks and he expects the movie to be released in 2022. Perry’s company is based in Michigan and announced this summer two German actors will play lead roles in the film. Another actor who had role in two TV dramas — St. Elsewhere and Tour of Duty — will portray the Kossuth County Sheriff in the film. Algona was notified in 1943 that a POW camp would be built in the county and an estimated 10-thousand German soldiers passed through until it was dismantled in 1946. A 20-foot by 60-foot nativity scene carved by six German POWs remains in Algona.
Image: Prison camp in Algona. (Photo from Camp Algona website)
