A still from Cheeseheads, A Documentary.

Cheeseheads, a new documentary by Wisconsin native John Mitchell which will screen Jan. 9 at Micon Cinemas Downtown, carries two slogan – both of them appropriate for an affectionate cinematic exploration of all things Sconnie.

The first tagline is “We’re So Much More Than A Funny Foam Hat!” – a sentiment no doubt shared by Wisconsinites who react with a mixture of pride and embarrassment to the legions of foam fromage-wearing superfans who pop up on national TV during every Green Bay Packers game. For Mitchell, who grew up in Cameron, about 50 miles north of Eau Claire, the cheesehead hat is a perfect symbol of a stereotype reclaimed and celebrated by the very people being stereotyped – in this case, the hard-working, good-natured, beer- and cheese-loving residents of the Badger State.

“The original idea came from the cliché that we’re sports nuts – and we are,” explains Mitchell, who struck upon the idea of making the film after seeing jubilant home-state pride among tailgating fans at both the 2011 Rose Bowl (which brought the Wisconsin Badgers to Pasadena, Calif.) and Super Bowl XLV (in which the Pack reclaimed the Lombardi Trophy). The camera-toting Mitchell, who has lived in California for the past two decades, interviewed fans outside both big games, and the Packer and Badger adoration is clearly visible (even if, for copyright reasons, the Packers’ “G” logo had to be blurred).

But a simple documentary about football fans this is not – and that’s where the second tagline comes in. The film’s on-screen subtitle is “A love letter to Wisconsin,” and after five years of work and roughly 300 interviews, Mitchell has created just that. With the foam hat and nickname as a starting point, the 112-minute film provides a broad look at Wisconsin’s culture, geography, history, and people.

“I’ve been told by many Wisconsinites that I know the state better than they do,” Mitchell says – and after traveling an estimated 50,000 miles while making the film, he probably does. In dozens of interconnected segments, the film explores all corners of the state, from the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery (home of legendary cheese curds) to Neenah Foundry (famed worldwide for manhole covers), from Ripon (birthplace of the Republican Party) to Madison (home of Wisconsin Public Radio, which grew out of 9XM, a.k.a. “the oldest station in the nation”). It tells the stories of legendary Wisconsinites from architect Frank Lloyd Wright to escape artist Harry Houdini, and marvels at the state’s natural beauty in all four seasons.

Western Wisconsin plays an integral role in Cheeseheads. Mitchell’s Barron County hometown is featured prominently, as is Jake Leinenkugel of the Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls; Lombardi-era Packer legend Dave Robinson, who was interviewed at Famous Dave’s in Eau Claire; and theater professor James Miller of UW-Stout in Menomonie. The interview with the erudite and witty Miller is one of Mitchell’s favorites along with sit-downs with Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and 2012 Miss America Laura Kaeppeler of Kenosha.

Through interviews with everyone from Gov. Scott Walker to regular Joes perched on their Wisconsin-made Harleys, Mitchell explores the numerous facets of cheesehead identity. Among his favorite portions of the film is a segment near the end that Mitchell refers to as “We the Cheeseheads,” a manifesto of Sconnie pride stitched together from bits of interviews with more than a dozen people. “That was a great joy – telling my story with other people’s words,” he says.

So what does the word “Cheesehead” mean to Mitchell himself? That’s a complicated question, he says. “I’ve joked with friends that trying to define the term Cheesehead is similar to defining what love is,” he explains. “Everyone claims a different meaning, and all of them are likely true.” He continues: “You have to admit that any place that can take what was, for all intents, an insult … and turn it into a source of cultural pride, that is a place with a deep sense of confidence, pride of ownership, and yet also with an ever-so-sophisticated sense of humor that defies cultural norms around the rest of the country (even the world). If that is the deeper meaning of being a Cheesehead, I welcome it.”

 Since relocating to California in the early 1990s, Mitchell has worked in the film industry, doing everything from voiceovers to freelance production and writing. However, this is his first feature-length film, and he carries the credit as narrator, writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. “The biggest challenge, I think, is having to learn everything you didn’t know how to do,” he says.

The film, which took several years of editing to complete, premiered Dec. 19 in Cameron, and screenings are planned in Menomonie, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Beloit, and elsewhere. Mitchell is currently negotiating to get the film carried on streaming video services such as Netflix and Hulu, and he hopes it garners a wide audience by the time football season 2016 arrives. “I think it will go national, because it has that kind of appeal,” he says, noting the strong affection for Wisconsin he’s heard expressed by those from other parts of the country.

As for the filmmaker, he says turning the lens toward his native Wisconsin was a labor of love that deepened his affinity for the Land of the Cheeseheads. “I have an end product to show for my journey,” he explains. “but the best part was the journey.”

Learn more about Cheeseheads: The Documentary online at iamacheesehead.com or facebook.com/iamacheesehead, or check out the trailer on YouTube.

Cheeseheads: The Documentary, Eau Claire premiere film screening • Saturday, Jan. 9, 5:30pm pre-event, 7pm showtime • Micon Cinemas Downtown Eau Claire, 315 S. Barsow St. • $10 • www.miconcinemas.com