▁Richard . ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁Development ▁▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁while ▁film ing ▁John ▁Do yle ' s ▁Main ▁Street ▁( 2 0 1 0 ) ▁in ▁Dur ham , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁Col in ▁F irth ▁had ▁st umbled ▁upon ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Richard ▁and ▁M ild red ▁L oving , ▁before ▁being ▁introduced ▁to ▁film maker ▁Nancy ▁Bu ir ski . ▁Bu ir ski ▁herself ▁had ▁recently ▁read ▁the ▁ob itu ary ▁of ▁M ild red ▁L oving ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁and ▁spoke ▁to ▁F irth ▁about ▁her ▁plans ▁on ▁making ▁a ▁document ary ▁about ▁the ▁couple . ▁Bu ir ski ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁F irth ▁regarding ▁a ▁feature ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁after ▁learning ▁of ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁American ▁politics ▁and ▁social ▁history , ▁to ▁which ▁F irth ▁and ▁herself ▁began ▁to ▁bra inst orm ▁a ▁narr ative ▁structure ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁beginning ▁work ▁on ▁a ▁screen play . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁F irth ▁mentioned ▁to ▁Bu ir ski ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁launch ing ▁a ▁production ▁company , ▁Rain dog ▁Films , ▁with ▁Ged ▁D oh ert y , ▁and ▁had ▁brought ▁up ▁a ▁narr ative ▁version ▁of ▁The ▁L oving ▁Story ▁( 2 0 1 1 ) ▁to ▁D oh ert y , ▁to ▁which ▁D oh ert y ▁remarked , ▁"[ F irth ] ▁was ▁very ▁taken ▁with ▁the ▁simplicity ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁with ▁how