We left the film with a feeling of hope and energy. The actions required to bring about social change are not that complicated and are universally beneficial, but power structures present barriers.
'Saving Walden’s World’ to Screen in Orono, ME
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Black Bear Cinemas
Orono ME, United States
Description
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.
Join us for two special benefit screenings of Saving Walden’s World on Wednesday, November 4 and Friday, November 6, 2026, at 6:00 PM, at Black Bear Cinemas, 6 Stillwater Ave, Orono, Maine.
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.
Both screenings are fundraisers for the Mabel Wadsworth Center in Bangor, which provides reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming care, prenatal care, advocacy, and education across midcoast and eastern Maine. The film documents what happens to a community when women have access to education, healthcare, and reproductive freedom. Mabel Wadsworth does that work here.
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 23 international film festivals and won 14 awards. These Orono screenings are a rare chance for our community to engage with these solutions before they reach a national audience.
Tickets are $10, and every ticket benefits the Mabel Wadsworth Center. Director Jim Merkel will be there in person for a Q&A after each screening. If you can’t make Wednesday, come Friday!
Event Details:
WHAT: Saving Walden's World - Directed by Jim Merkel
WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM AND Friday, November 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM
WHERE: Black Bear Cinemas, 6 Stillwater Ave, Orono, ME 04473
TICKETS: $10 | https://www.blackbearcinemas.com/#
FUNDRAISER BENEFICIARY: Mabel Wadsworth Center, Bangor, ME
MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Merkel | jimimerkel@gmail.com | (207) 323-1474
BENEFICIARY CONTACT: Aspen Ruhlin | ruhlin@mabelwadsworth.org
WEBSITE: savingwaldensworld.org
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