SKOWHEGAN — A documentary film about the decline of oil production and climate change that stars local artist Iver Lofving will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Skowhegan Free Public Library on Elm Street.

The hourlong film, “Peak Oil: A Love Story,” was made by filmmaker Nelson Cole and features Lofving and his evolving theory that when the Earth’s petroleum supplies reach their zenith — the peak of oil production — the eventual collapse of civilization will not be far behind.

Iver Lofving sits in his electric car in a shed at his home in Skowhegan earlier this year. Lofving, an art teacher at Skowhegan Area High School, is the subject of a new documentary film, "Peak Oil: A Love Story," which is scheduled to be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Skowhegan Library. Admission is free. Staff file photo by Michael G. Seamans

The film leaves viewers with the question: Is peak oil the end of the world or a new beginning?

Lofving, a Skowhegan Area High School art teacher, said the showing is to be part of the October meeting of the Transition Skowhegan group and is free and open to the public. Donations to the library building fund will be accepted, he said.

Cole said in March when the film was still in production that the film is a love story despite the possible doom in the message, because Lofving is so fixed on the concept of peak oil that he is in love with it.

“He’s not a negative person. He’s not a negative guy living alone in the woods who’s pessimistic at all. He’s very positive and outgoing, and entertaining and intelligent,” Cole, 49, said in an interview in March. “I wanted to capture some of the fun of Iver, so I thought the title would represent that, too.”

Lofving, 57, says that peak oil “is actually the only thing that’s going to save us from climate change.”

As long as the world keeps extracting oil in the millions of barrels per day, it is only common sense that one day the Earth will reach a point that extraction starts to decline, for better or worse, Lofving said.

Home heating, electricity, transportation, cosmetics, medicines — even plastic bags — all rely on oil. People will have to learn to live in a much simpler way in the future in order to survive, he said.

Cole shot 60 or 70 hours of film that had to be edited down before it was ready to be released.

Lofving, originally from Westchester County, New York, served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala. He and his wife, Maili Lani Bailey, have raised 10 foster children over 18 years.

Cole grew up in Rockland and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a minor in history, at Syracuse University. He is an education technician in Dover-Foxcroft. His production company has made several short films and won a Jane Morrison Filmmaker’s grant from the Maine Arts Commission.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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