ABOVE: Videographer and Director of upcoming movie Nolte 36 Marcus Taplin, left, sets up for his interview with Executive Director of the Martin County Historical Society, Lenny Tvedten, on Wednesday. The movie, based on the Nolte family that emigrated to Fairmont from Germany and had 36 members fight in WWII, is currently slated to be released July 4, 2026.

FAIRMONT – The first interview for the upcoming documentary The 36, with Martin County Historical Society Executive Director Lenny Tvedten, was completed on Wednesday.

The film will center on the Nolte family. Carl and Louise Nolte moved to Martin County in 1885.

“When they moved to Martin County, they purchased 200 acres of land three miles west of Fairmont,” Tvedten wrote. “They raised twelve children, including a set of identical twin boys. Nolte passed away in 1918, farming until his death.”

By WWII, there were several sons, sons-in-law, or grandsons of these twelve children. As such, a total of 36 Nolte family members served in the war in one fashion or another. Not only that, but only two were wounded, and none were killed.

Videographer, The 36 Director, and Fairmont native Marcus Taplin said this project has come together relatively fast.

“This all kicked off with a call from Paul Wessel,” he said. “His grandfather and uncles [were among the 36]. He called me. He’s like, ‘We need to tell this story.’ Just so happened that I’m from Martin County and graduated from Fairmont. It was something that I’m like, ‘This feels like something I really want to do.'”

As for Taplin’s history, he graduated from Fairmont in 2007, was a member of Bruce Abitz’s media program and was active in sports. In his career as a videographer, Taplin said he worked for three years at Fox Sports and then went freelance. He has worked on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, with athletes like Tom Brady, and has done promotional work with the Los Angeles Lakers for the past six years.

When approached with this opportunity, Tvedten said he was glad the spotlight was getting put on this.

“Military service, serving the country,” he said. “The fact it’s so unique. There were 36 cousins, 36 related people that were all in WWII at the same time, and they all came back.”

For this documentary, Taplin said the whole goal is to tell this story of family sacrifice.

“To send this many kids and relatives off to war, come back, and then they were shoe salesman and farmers and lawyers,” he said. “They integrated back into the community. That story of pausing, going to do your duty, and then coming back and being community-focused. I think that’s really strong within this family.”

Even locally, Taplin said it is a story not well known, which he wants to change.

“I think the fact of view of when I called with my mom and some older people that are from this area, and they didn’t know about the story, I felt like it was a little bit of, even the local community needs to hear this story.”

The plan is to have the documentary done for America’s 250th anniversary, July 4, 2026. Taplin said he has several interviews lined up with Nolte family members in their 90s and is going to the WWII Museum in New Orleans and the Fagan Museum in Granite Falls, among other planned additions.

As for what they want the movie and its impact to be, Tvedten and Taplin agreed they want it to inform and educate the public. Taplin added he wants to mix this aspect with entertainment.

“Our whole goal is to take a very historical thing and bring it to a new young audience that wants to watch this,” he said. “In the final edit, you could see animation, reenactments and historical B-roll from inside a museum. We’re going try to bring in a bunch of graphics and just make it visually fun.”

For more information, visit nolte36.org/