Every generation says the younger generation is problematic and faces unique challenges. Today's teenagers deal with political chaos, climate emergencies, pandemics, social media, and the rise of artificial intelligence. They generally experience poverty, the lack of employment opportunities, substance use, long wait times for increasingly remote healthcare, and isolation. Compounded with society's increasingly lack of interest in investing in public programs that might help, it is no wonder that small-town Maine teens flock to social media to find a sense of community, vape for anxiety release, or get lost in smartphones.
"Rural Dreams" is a documentary about rural Maine teens — written, filmed, and produced by them. Over three years, through interviews, filming from the ground and from drones, and narration, students created a record of their community. The film captures both the remarkable landscape of the Maine Highlands and this special and resilient generation.
