CEDAR FALLS - Before Iowa's soil fed the crops the state is now known for, it nourished something far more beautiful.

"America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie" explores the history of what used to be the tallgrass prairie, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to southern Canada and covering 14 states, including Iowa. As open land became states and settlers planted roots, most of the prairie was plowed under and turned into farmland.

David O'Shields, owner of New Light Media in Cedar Falls, wrote and directed the film, and co-produced it with University of Northern Iowa biology professor and director of the UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center Daryl Smith. After working on the project for more than 10 years, the men saw their work achieve critical acclaim, winning more than 25 film festival awards. On Sunday, "America's Lost Landscape" will premiere nationally on PBS.

"I hope (audiences) appreciate the enormity of what was lost but also the opportunity that abounds throughout the Midwest," said O'Shields. "This is an ecosystem that is important to the entire planet, not just the U.S. I want them to appreciate the beauty of the prairie, not think of it as a somber landscape."

The responsibility of editing 40 hours of film down to 60 minutes - then to a shorter 56-minute cut for PBS - fell to Clayton Condit, owner of Splice Here, a Minneapolis-based post-production house. Condit, an Iowa native who graduated in 1992 from UNI, said it's the first time he can remember an Iowa-based project landing on his desk. At first, he wondered how he would make a compelling hour of prairie grass footage.

"The moment I saw the footage come in, I saw the flowers, and it's more than grasses. The footage is just beautiful," said Condit. "I love telling stories about hidden truths. … I grew up in the state. Why didn't I know about it? It's not in my history books. I love those stories. It's an eye-opening opportunity to inform people about history."

Shooting in eight states, O'Shields was concerned he wouldn't be able to find shots of wide-open, sweeping prairie, but he found the panoramic vistas he was looking for in South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Balancing the biology of the film is the historical story of the prairie, which set a backdrop for the battle American Indians fought - and ultimately lost - over land.

Smith hopes educators will respond to the multifaceted look at the tallgrass prairie in "America's Lost Landscape." After accomplishing his first goal of getting the film on PBS, Smith is focused on his second - using the film in schools as an educational tool. About a year and a half ago, Smith gathered a team of teachers at all levels to write curriculum materials that could partner with the film. This fall, he hopes to start teacher training workshops on the subject.

"I have been working in prairies and reconstruction since the early '70s and promoting the prairie too, and when I talked to groups I always thought it would be nice to show a film that told the story of the tallgrass prairie," said Smith. "But I never found a film that fit the bill; they would always tell part of the story but not all."

In addition to captivating images that put viewers in the middle of prairie life are experts giving commentary on what the prairie was and the efforts going into redeveloping and sustaining what is left. O'Shields always envisioned a female narrator, and he found the familiar voice of Annabeth Gish the perfect fit. A native of Cedar Falls, Gish has found success in Hollywood productions including "Mystic Pizza" and "The X-Files."

She called the opportunity to work on the Midwest-focused documentary "an honor." Gish's narration was recorded over a total of four days in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, and the actress said she went through vocal training.

"All of the images and the photos of the landscape made me long for the landscape I had grown up in," said Gish. "I think it's a testament to how your surroundings can inform you and your sensibilities."

Smith and O'Shields have high hopes for what their film can accomplish when given a wide audience.

"I hope viewers will come to understand that the way in which a prairie ecosystem functions can be a model - an approach to building and maintaining a sustainable civilization that may lead us out of the environmental and productive mess we find ourselves in today," said O'Shields. "The real importance of the prairie is that it is a model for who we must become. Prairie can be a great teacher. All we have to do is learn and act intelligently."

Contact Kelsey Holm at (319) 291-1464 or kelsey.holm@wcfcourier.com.

{M3WATCH IT

{M3"America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie" will air on PBS at 9 p.m. April 1 and 8 p.m. April 6. To purchase a copy of the DVD for either home or educational use, go to www.lostlandscapefilm.com/lostland.