jefftowne is a 1998 documentary shot and directed by Daniel Kraus and distributed by Troma Entertainment. It chronicles the life of Jeff Towne, a 40 year old Iowa City resident who suffers from Downs Syndrome, obesity, alcoholism, and circulation problems. Towne also enjoys pornography and lives with his 90-year-old adoptive grandmother.
Direction
Kraus walks a razor's edge between observation and exploitation.
Production
Troma distribution creates deliberate tonal whiplash.
Director
Daniel Kraus
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of 1990s 'freak documentary' boom alongside 'Crumb' and 'American Movie,' but without their subjects' explicit buy-in.
Kraus later expressed ambivalence about the project; Jeff died in 2008, largely forgotten.
US
