WE ARE TAKING OURTOWN ON THE ROAD
If you would like to show OURTOWN in your town, school or organization please let us know. We have received a generous grant from the Hozizon Foundation to make this possible. If you have any questions or need further information
contact us

ABOUT THIS FILM
We were hearing rumors in the fall of 2005 that Wal-Mart wanted to build a huge retail store in our small town, a site with a footprint that could actually cover our entire downtown.  Damariscotta has a population of just over 2,000. The idea of a SuperCenter here was so bizarre that no one took it seriously. Plus, we are surrounded by three Wal-Marts within thirty minutes - why would we need another?

We heard the names of two women, two stay-at-home Moms, who were taking the rumors seriously and organizing against Wal-Mart and we began attending some of their early meetings. They acted on the simple premise that something needed to be done and then set out to discover what that might mean. When Wal-Mart confirmed a plan to build in our town, they were ready.  Over the next five months we followed their grass-roots campaign as they recruited volunteers and researched information and grappled with the local debate raging for and against Wal-Mart.

This film was a first-hand opportunity to witness democracy at work. We were inspired to see people respond to the perceived threat and, like them, we were forever changed by the realization that people have the right to determine the future of their towns.

We at Red Door Media are dedicated to making films about people who take on problems and issues because they feel strongly about them and because they believe they can influence the outcome.  These activists are a great inspiration for all of us. They become leaders who show us the way and make us believe we can do things we never imagined possible.

Download Synopsis  (pdf)

Doreen Conboy, filmmaker, artist, musician, began filmmaking with Cyclops Video Productions of Brunswick, Maine. With Vanessa Barth she co-produced a number of short films about Maine artists along with the acclaimed documentary, " Renascence, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Poet " which aired in Europe and nationally on PBS stations.
More recently she has collaborated with Red Door Media on "Closing the Circle " and their newest release, " Ourtown. "

Wendy Hebb, filmmaker:   Ourtown is her second documentary with Red Door Media.  The first was Closing the Circle, a winner in the Maine Documentary Film Competition.

Michael Richard, filmmaker is a native of Maine and resident. As a long time media creator, I feel film-making is perhaps the most arduous and confounding and ultimately the most rewarding visual process. It's really the art of storytelling. The amount of time and the perseverance involved in birthing a documentary film is daunting to say the least. We were often feeling lost and overwhelmed during the editing of this film. All along, never quite knowing where the journey will end while marveling at the too many possibilities......... until miraculously after much searching the path is found and the film begins to assemble itself. (we had 50 plus hours of footage shot on this project)

At Red Door Media we dedicate our energies to films about creative activism. The world is full of wonderful stories and people who can teach us and inspire us. To show us what it is possible, that we have a voice, but only if we try. The stories of these leaders who try and show the rest of us what is possible are the ones we want to tell, because they give us hope and optimism for a future that we want to be a part of.

Sumner McKane, composer   has made a career writing and recording original music, he has spent the last ten years playing lead guitar in various country acts from Maine to Tennessee. This has afforded him the opportunity to play great stages such as the Grand Ole Opry, the Wildhorse Saloon and Gillette Stadium. He has also had the opportunity to share the stage with (open for) artists such as Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and more.

*2005 release- NORTH- top five Echoes essential cds for 2005
*2006 release- NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUS- top five Echoes essential cds for 2006
*Recorded two living room concerts for Echoes between '05 & '07.

Jenny Mayher, Co-Founder of OURTOWN
has spent her adult life looking for an authentic place to put down roots. After living in Boston , Wyoming , Colorado , New Jersey , and Mississippi she found her home back in Maine where her family has been for many years, only to find that Wal-Mart wanted to move in nearby. Her passionate commitment to keep Damariscotta small and local arose from knowing what rare qualities those are in modern America. Jenny stayed home with her children Essie and Josiah for seven years and recently started working part time at the local library and part time as an educational consultant. She lives with her children, husband Garrett, and various animals in Bremen , Maine .

This film was made possible in part by grants from the LOJO Foundation, Reny’s Foundation, and anonymous individual donor.