“The Last Class,” screening at the Harbor Theater here in Boothbay Harbor on Monday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m., is the documentary made during Robert Reich’s last semester teaching his course, “Wealth and Poverty,” at Berkeley in 2022 before retiring. That semester 1,000 students filled the largest lecture hall at Berkeley. Reich was Professor of Public Policy emeritus at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Reich was the secretary of labor during President Bill Clinton’s administration and was named by Time Magazine as one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the 20th century. He has authored 18 books, his most recent, “Coming Up Short: A Memoir of of My America,” was published in August 2025. He writes online at robertreich.substack.com. 

Boothbay Harbor resident Kitty Hartford learned about the documentary on Substack, an e-newsletter  platform founded in 2017, she subscribes to. Educators, authors, playwrights, musicians, journalists, among many others can be found on Substack, including Reich and historian and author Heather Cox Richardson. 

Hartford recalled seeing Richardson at Damariscotta's Lincoln Theater with New York Times cartoonist Liza Donnelly in July of 2024.

“She (Richardson) talked so lucidly and plainly about how things come about from a historical perspective, which grabbed my interest,” said Hartford. Heather and the host sat on stage and talked to each other, and they had a screen behind them where the cartoonist (Lisa) was doodling. I was mesmerized. I just love these people who speak from the heart. They're critical thinkers. They give us a fair analysis of what's going on and why it's happening. Then I started following Timothy Snyder, Robert Reich, and reading other people on Substack.”

It was through Reich’s podcast, and reading his posts on Substack, she learned about this documentary released in June of this year.

The film is being shown at theaters across the country. In Maine, it has already been seen at the Portland Museum of Art and The Strand in Rockland. In addition to Boothbay Harbor, it will be screened at theaters in Dover-Foxcroft and Bucksport this month as well.

Said Thompson, “Harbor Theater loves hearing from audience members. Some of our best-attended films have been ones suggested by ardent viewers who know what our community is interested in and responds to.”

Hartford recalled, from her reading, “The Last Class,” played in boutique or independent theaters – like the one right here in Boothbay Harbor. This reminded her of when Jason Sheckley reopened the theater space in the Meadow Mall and named it.

“When Jason took it over he did such wonderful things using the old reel films in the projection room. He honored the old films and the old filmmaking,” Hartford said, “and brought that to this little community as other boutique theaters have done. And when it was becoming a nonprofit, I supported it wholehearted, not knowing how successful they would be ... with events which are for members only that are crowded with non-members too. It's truly a wonderful community feature. We are blessed to have this little harbor theater.”

For more information visit https://www.thelastclassfilm.com/. Reich’s “Wealth & Poverty” course is available online https://www.thelastclassfilm.com/

The Harbor Theater is at 185 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor. Educators and theater members admitted free; $12 adults and those 18 years and under admitted for $8. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 6:30 screening.  ADA-mandated Audio Descriptive (AD) and Closed Caption (CC) devices available for the visually and hearing-impaired. Inquire at the concession stand. 

“This film by no means serves as a vanity project. (Friedrich) Kirschner could have certainly compiled an A-list cast of academics and political power players to gush about Reich, but instead we see him interacting with his preferred colleagues, the students…. This cinematic memoir delivers numerous upbeat anecdotes about democracy, leadership and critical thinking — and he means it when he says, ‘pessimism is fine, cynicism is not.’” —Tobias Jeg, Exclaim