'Saving Walden's World' to Screen in Marion, MA

What kind of world are we leaving for the next generation?

In a time of mounting climate anxiety and geopolitical uncertainty, it is easy to feel that the system is failing. But while the headlines focus on extraction and conflict, there is a Plan B being engineered by communities in the places you'd least expect, and a Maine filmmaker went looking for it.

The Sippican Historical Society and the Marion Institute are proud to host a special community screening of Saving Walden's World on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM, at Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion, Massachusetts.

This film follows Jim Merkel's personal journey from a former military engineer to a father raising his son, Walden, on an off-grid homestead in Maine. Jim traveled to Kerala, Cuba, and Slovenia to investigate how communities there have achieved genuine stability, by prioritizing women's literacy, healthcare, and reproductive freedom, and what that means for the rest of us.

For over thirty years, the Marion Institute has worked to build a sustainable, equitable, and community-led food system across Southeastern Massachusetts, through Frogfoot Farm, Fields to Families, the Southcoast Food Policy Council, and farm-to-school programs reaching 27 schools across the region. The communities in this film are living proof of what the Marion Institute is building here. The Sippican Historical Society, a cornerstone of Marion's cultural and community life, brings its network of community members, historians, and local advocates to the evening.

Why attend? This isn't just a movie. It is a blueprint for a livable future. Recently accepted for national distribution on PBS via NETA, the film has screened at 25 international film festivals and won 14 awards. This Marion screening is a rare chance for our community to engage with these solutions before they reach a national audience.

Seating is limited to 150, so save your seat by registering here. Donations towards the film's global impact campaign are certainly welcome. Q&A with director Jim Merkel will follow the screening.

Event Details:

• DATE: Friday, November 13, 2026 | 7:00 PM

• LOCATION: Marion Music Hall at 164 Front Street, Marion, MA 02738

• CO-HOSTED BY: Sippican Historical Society & Marion Institute

• LOCAL CONTACT: Alanna Nelson | info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org

• WEBSITE: savingwaldensworld.org

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/an4LqG9mLlM?si=fnkHeqFoT03B9dKJ