Free Admission for Veterans at our Box Office
In honor of Veterans Day, we are proud to present this event, with most of the proceeds going directly to new Veterans’ housing on the island. The Feature will be preceded by two short films and followed by a Q & A with Philippe Jordi of Island Housing Trust, Chaplain David Berube and Vietnam Veterans Paul Schultz and Mark Leonard.
Mending the Line is a story about finding something to make living worthwhile. John Colter, a wounded veteran, returns to the States still carrying the demons of war, hauntingly disturbed by the everyday expectations of friendships and love interests. In Livingston, Montana, he meets Ike, a surly, headstrong fly-fisherman more than twice his age, and Lucy, a talented photographer turned librarian who reads aloud to veterans, both damaged in their own way. While getting treatment for his wounds, both physical and psychological, Colter wants only to re-enlist, to have something to die for. But the real challenge is finding something to live for.
“The drama captures the way two wounded warriors from opposite worlds can overcome trauma, find comfort in nature and, potentially, mend themselves.” – AARP
“delivers a truth about those who have served, about the reality of the demons that can linger in them, that’s tough and moving.” – Variety
Preceded by 2 short films:
PAUL SCHULTZ – READ THE WATER
Paul Schultz, a renown surfcaster on the Vineyard, has been fishing most all of his life and has boundless knowledge of Vineyard land and waters. In this excerpt from a 2012 interview with Linsey Lee, Paul shares some thoughts on fishing.
THE PROMISES WE’VE MADE
Our community is counting on us to keep the 99 year promises we’ve made. We can’t let them down.
SPEAKERS:
Philippe Jordi is the founding executive director of the Island Housing Trust, a non-profit community development corporation and community land trust on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Philippe’s work with the Trust has focused on creating a mosaic of scattered site ownership and rental
housing that fits within existing neighborhoods and provide long-term affordability through ground lease restrictions and energy efficient design and
construction. He has thirty-five years of experience as a community development specialist, is a certified planner with the American Institute of
Certified Planners, and earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in
Syracuse, New York.
Chaplain David Berube is a retired Lt. Colonel with 21 years of service in the United States Air Force and the Massachusetts Air National Guard. In his civilian career, David is a retired Oak Bluffs Police Officer and local church pastor, including at the Federated Church of Martha’s Vineyard. Vegas is a four-year-old, world class Service Dog from NEADS, in Princeton, MA. After eighteen months of rigorous training and screening, he teamed with David in April of 2021 to provide grounding tasks for his daily life.
Mark Leonard is a retired Army Colonel with over 24 years of service. An Armor Officer, he specialized in training and operations, finishing his career at the Pentagon as Director of Mobilization in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. After retiring, Mark became a partner in a Washington, DC-based defense consulting company providing business development services, bringing products and services to support military operations. Today, he volunteers his time as the Chair of the Oak Bluffs Affordable Housing Committee, creating homes for low and moderate-income individuals and families. He lives in Oak Bluffs with his wife, Colonel (Retired) Lisa.
Vietnam Veteran Paul Shultz has been a longtime ranger with the Trustees of the Reservation and former derby committee member and a fishing mentor to dozens of competitors. This year, he was honored with the MV Derby Hall of Fame Award. At least eight people had written in letters asking that Mr. Schultz be inducted.
In Collaboration with Island Housing Trust
