For the Love of Rutland

As her small, blue-collar city struggles to emerge from the opioid epidemic and gets caught up in battles over change, identity, and self-mythology, FOR THE LOVE OF RUTLAND closely follows the story of Stacie Griffin – a remarkable and resilient woman who lives in the toughest neighborhood of the heroin-battered town of Rutland, Vermont.

After 38 years of steady hardship and near invisibility in a town that is overwhelmingly white and deeply stratified by class, Stacie yearns to improve her own situation and those of her neighbors – including three Syrian families who arrive in her town just before the federal government bans refugee resettlement. With a verité approach and a microcosmic lens, FOR THE LOVE OF RUTLAND traces almost three years in the life of Stacie, the town’s firebrand mayor Chris Louras, and an ensemble cast of supporting characters representing a cross-section of the town’s clashing ideological and cultural subgroups.

Trailer

Press

“A heart-tugging X-ray of the soul of a small American town, challenged to accept refugees at the same time that it is challenged by the opioid crisis. It’s a too-rare pleasure to see a working-class protagonist, and one who travels a complex journey into compassion through community-building.”

Patricia Aufderheide, American University

Premieres & Awards

Official Selection

Hot Docs 2020

Official Selection

Atlanta Intl FF 2020

Official Selection

USA Film Festival – Dallas 2020