UNITY — A documentary film and multimedia presentation that illustrates the life, history and character of turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen and river drivers will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5, to the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts. Maine filmmaker and composer Sumner McKane’s “In The Blood” combines film, history and live music to bring stories of legendary Maine lumbermen to life on stage, according to a news release from the college.

Lumbermen began living in logging camps in the Maine woods in the early 1800s. They were the pioneers who created a successful self-contained working community in the woods, and on whose backs the state’s economy and history were largely established. They were unique in their character, ethics, morals, strength, and skills, and they symbolize Maine’s gritty and resilient reputation.

“In The Blood” takes the audience into rugged environments: the logging camp, the haul roads, landings and yards, rivers and lakes. By combining archived films, photographs, oral histories told by loggers, and live music by McKane and Josh Robbins, “In The Blood” creates a vivid world and brings lumbermen’s 19th-century reality to life.

“In the Blood” is “not only education, it is specifically topical to this area,” UCCPA Events Manager Wendi Richards said in the release. “We have a lot of families who have roots in the lumber industry. Modern audiences may want to see what their great grandparents experienced living here in the 1800s. It’s possible some of the footage includes family members!”

Richards said the documentary not only has educational value that correlates with the Unity College experience, but also “shows how the performing arts can be blended to accentuate an educational experience.”

“This is like nothing most of us have seen before,” Richards said in the release. “It reminds me of the silent film era, where a live musician plays along with the film, only here, we can also hear the voices from the past.”

McKane is a filmmaker and composer based in Wiscasset. He records instrumental music, film scores, and music for media. He produces historical documentaries along with companion live presentations to his films. He studied photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Mont., and at the University of Montana. He graduated from the University of Southern Maine with high honors in history. His music is often featured on NPR’s Echoes program, and he is a recipient of a Maine Arts Commission Performing Arts and Media Fellow award.

Tickets cost $10, for tickets, visit www.uccpa.unity.edu or call 509-7132.

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