Henry Spritz ’23 has been making movies since middle school. His most recent project explores themes that are depressingly familiar to many who have grown up in small-town America.

“For many years I had wanted to make a movie that touches on the opioid epidemic, particularly here in Maine, where I have lived my whole life,” said Spritz, who grew up in Portland and Belfast. “Initially I didn’t know how that project would take shape, but I knew I would have to approach it with the utmost care. As a freshman two years ago, I finally felt I was in a place where I had a story, a longer-form project that I could start working on.”

The film’s other major theme, said Spritz, is something that many people growing up in places like Maine will be familiar with—the love-hate dynamic you have with the place you’re from. “

Maine’s small but vibrant creative economy also means there are many networking opportunities for young artists like Spritz. Throughout his short career, he said, he has had the opportunity to connect with the filmmaking community across the entire state. “There’s such freedom to create here if you have the passion and the commitment.