At 5 p.m. May 22, 2011, MU faculty member Chip Gubera exercised in his living room watching the news as storms threatened his downtown Columbia residence.
The local weatherman alerted viewers a short time later Joplin had been destroyed by a massive tornado. Gubera, a Joplin native, did not process what he just heard. An EF5 tornado had devastated his hometown of 21 years.
“Then it hit me,” Gubera said. “I started to try and make phone calls to my family. I kept receiving this message of ‘all lines are busy.’ I got very scared.”
After monitoring information feeds, he got into his car and headed for Joplin. After just a few blocks, he realized he was not prepared and turned back toward Columbia. He reached his mother’s voicemail when he got back to Columbia, and later received a response saying his family was fine. The following day, he listened to live radio feeds as he packed. The next day, May 24, he loaded his car with a chainsaw and water and headed to Joplin to see how he could help.
After staying in Joplin for a few days, Gubera headed back to Columbia to tie up obligations before he could return. His sister Kristin, who works for Freeman Hospital in Joplin, said everyone was talking and telling stories of survival, hope and courage. She told Gubera people needed to talk and tell their stories.
“So when I went back the next time, I took my camera instead of my chainsaw,” Gubera said.
Gubera initially did not know what the story of the film would be. Joined by his father Conrad, Gubera put his 15 years of film experience to work.
“I wanted to tell a story that made the people of Joplin three-dimensional,” Gubera said. “I also wanted to paint a three-dimensional picture of the storm and the aftermath.”
Filming continued until August 2011. Chip and Conrad Gubera, along with Coast to Coast AM’s George Noory, produced and finished the movie in April.
The 45-minute documentary premiered May 11 at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. The free show debuted in front of 850 community members.
“The screening in Joplin went great,” Gubera said. “It was emotional for most, but I was told that many found it cathartic as well. This is important to me because I tried to make the most honest film about this tragedy as I could.”
After viewing the film, MSSU’s board motioned and passed unanimously to give copies of the film as gifts to Gov. Jay Nixon and President Barack Obama when they were in town for the Joplin High School graduation.
“This was one of the biggest honors of my life,” Gubera said. “It was also evidence that I had a film that Joplin could call their own.”
Gubera said he plans to continue to tell stories about Joplin in the future.
“Joplin is a fantastic town,” he said. “It is a tough town. It is a strong town. It is a kind town. It is a patient town. It is a welcoming town. It is my hometown that I am so proud to be from.”
