BRATTLEBORO — Latchis Arts and Vermont filmmaker Mike Leonard present a screening of One Town at a Time at the Latchis Theatre on Saturday, June 15, at 4 p.m.
One Town at a Time is a coming-of-age story, a road trip chronicle, and a glimpse into the spirit and soul of Vermont, told through the lens of Woodstock native Mike Leonard.
In the summer of 2006, between semesters at college, Leonard took on the challenge of visiting every town in Vermont by joining the 251 Club - a unique organization dedicated to exploring the state.
With his two best friends in tow, he interviewed people he met along the way and visited some of Vermont's most celebrated places.
Fast-forward to 2018. After living outside Vermont for more than a decade, Leonard moved back home and decided to revisit the 251 Club - returning to some of the same places he had visited 12 years before and interviewing some of the same people.
He witnessed how Vermont has changed, how it has stayed the same and, ultimately, how a humble wayfarer's club shaped his identity forever.
One Town at a Time is a documentary film sharing this experience - and an invitation for others to hop in for a ride around Vermont's 251 towns and cities. It combines retro footage from 2006 with contemporary footage to reflect Vermont's changing cultural and physical landscape. Voices in the film include former Gov. Jim Douglas and Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield.
One Town at a Time had its world premiere on May 24 to a packed and enthusiastic crowd, according to a news release.
As part of the showing at the Latchis, there will be an exhibit of hand-made postcards of original paintings by Nancy Stone of Williston, made from sketches and impressions she recorded while she and her husband, Ken, completed the 251 Club Challenge between 2016 and 2018.