When a historic, $100 million clean energy controversy divides rural and urban New England, rural mountain athlete Ryan and urban clean energy advocate Mary are caught in the middle. The US Secretary of Energy and The New York Times lament the referendum outcome when Mainers ultimately vote the project down in 2021; it's one of dozens of clean energy projects killed by rural community resistance this decade.

 

But with their combined perspectives, Mary and Ryan see a different, more complicated story. This story explores generations of rural landscape relationships, of urban expansion, of exploitation, of innovation and collaboration. This story features locals, trailblazing national and community leaders, and academics alike. Their interviews contextualize Ryan and Mary's journey to see the controversial project for themselves, near his childhood home in Maine's remote Boundary Mountains. Together, they weave the history of America's rural-urban divide and work to paint a hopeful future.

 

Can they overcome the negative stereotypes, cultural misunderstandings, and disparities of the rural-urban divide in their own relationship? Can Americans overcome our divides in time to survive the climate crisis? Donate to the film to find out.