Simon Estes documentary debuts in Iowa — but not yet public

The singer wants it to motivate people to do more to help others, Steven Schott, a DSM resident and one of the filmmakers, tells Axios.

Catch up quick: Estes, 87, was raised in Centerville and is considered one of the greatest bass-baritones of all time.

• He has sung in 84 opera houses and performed 104 operatic roles.
• He continues to teach at Iowa State University and DMACC, where theater programs and music venues are named after him.

Zoom in: Estes has raised money to help save thousands of children's lives in Africa and is the cofounder of the Simon Estes Educational Foundation, which has raised money for scholarships.

State of play: "Simon Estes: A Heart & A Voice" was recently completed, but a movie distributor or streaming service has yet to pick it up, Schott tells Axios.

• Documentary makers recently showed it to the film's participants in Centerville and at an invite-only event yesterday at Varsity Cinema in DSM.

The intrigue: Schott began working on the documentary six years ago.

• Production was delayed during the pandemic, picking back up around the time Estes retired from the stage in 2022.

What's next: Schott hopes to get the film on public screens in the coming months.