VAN BUREN, Maine — Cary Medical Center’s Healthy You Program invites the community to join them Wednesday, March 30, 2016, for a free community heritage film screening of “Acadians Of the St. John Valley” by Crown of Maine Productions at 6 p.m. in the Van Buren High School Auditorium.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the film will begin promptly at 6 p.m. The screening is free for all attendees, but Crown of Maine Productions will also be on hand with copies of this and other films for sale. Bake sale refreshments will also be available for purchase at the event thanks to a partnership with Van Buren’s Class of 2018. All proceeds from the baked goods will benefit the Class of 2018’s ongoing fundraising efforts.
“Acadians Of The St. John Valley” is a one-hour film that portrays where the Acadians in old Acadia came from and how they made their way to the St. John Valley of northern Maine. The film follows the plight of these refugees as they carve out a new life for themselves in a harsh landscape, making do with very little, but succeeding by carrying with them the values and skills that helped them thrive in Acadie.
Viewers will see how they re-enact the arrival of their ancestors by canoe every year on the St. John River, find out how they have preserved their cultural artifacts, including whole buildings, and discover how they continue, to this day, to practice the traditions of their forefathers. These scenes are set against the backdrop of the beautiful St. John Valley with its forests, fields and slow flowing river, according to the Crown of Maine Productions website.
“It is important that the stories of Aroostook County communities are passed down and that younger generations embrace their roles in keeping the heritage alive,” said Cary Medical Center’s Healthy You program director, Bethany Zell. “Acadian culture has thrived in the St. John Valley because the Acadian population of northern Maine has made it a priority to promote and share their heritage through events like the World Acadian Congress and Acadian Festival. Cary Medical Center is honored to help make this new film accessible to more people within our St. John Valley communities.”
A copy of “The Acadians of St. John Valley” and another Crown of Maine Productions film, “Tater Raisin’ Folks,” will be awarded as door prizes during the event.
For more information, contact Bethany Zell at Cary Medical Center at 207.498.1361 or bzell@carymed.org.
