Media Releases
Nov 2University of Maine at Farmington Commemorates Veterans Day with Maine Film "The Way We Get By"
November 2nd, 2009
FARMINGTON, ME (November 2, 2009)--University of Maine at Farmington proudly
commemorates Veterans Day 2009 with a screening of the Maine-made film "The
Way We Get By," which has played to sold-out audiences across the country.
The film will be shown at 7 p.m., Wednesday, November 11, in Lincoln
Auditorium, UMF Roberts Learning Center, with a personal introduction by
Warren Cook, CEO of Saddleback Resort in Rangeley and the film's executive
producer.
Theodora J. Kalikow, UMF president, was instrumental in bringing the timely
film to the Farmington campus. "We are so pleased to be able to share this
moving film with our community on this important day," said Kalikow. "This
is a story that speaks to everyone, regardless of age or politics."
Started by Maine filmmakers on a tiny budget and supported by Cook because
he believed in it and wanted to see the story told, the film features the
work of three elderly volunteer greeters as they gather daily at the Bangor
Airport in Maine to thank American soldiers, departing to and returning
from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for their service.
The three greeters, when not at the airport, wrestle with their own
problems of failing health, depression and mounting debt. Yet, as the story
unfolds, it becomes a celebration of these three unsung heroes and a
meditation on patriotism, aging and giving to others.
Directed by Aron Gaudet and produced by Gita Pullapilly, "The Way We Get
By" has won numerous awards across the country. It is the recipient of the
prestigious SXSW '09 Film Festival Special Jury Award, the Full Frame
Documentary Film Festival's Audience Award, the AFI/Discovery Channel
Documentary Festival SILVERDOCS Award and many others. It has also been
recognized as the "Best Documentary" at numerous film festivals around the
country and is being considered for an Oscar nomination.
Cook is CEO of Saddleback--a four-season resort and real estate development
in Rangeley, Maine. He is also co-founder of Maine Network Partners and
Common Good Ventures and active in funding and non-profit work. He served
in the Marines during Vietnam after graduating from Dartmouth College. His
son, a career Marine officer who has served 5 tours in Iraq and
Afghanistan, has been greeted by the volunteers when he traveled through
Bangor.
The screening of "The Way We Get By" is free and open to the public. It is
sponsored by the UMF President's Office. More information on the film can
be found at http://www.thewaywegetbymovie.com/ .
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