Lincoln Theater, in partnership with Healthy Lincoln County and the Lincoln County Gleaners, is presenting a free screening of “The Gleaners and I,” Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. This event, offered free to the public, invites viewers to explore the practice of gleaning through the eyes of acclaimed French filmmaker Agnès Varda, and to learn how the centuries-old tradition is being carried forward to address food insecurity locally.

Released in 2000, Varda’s “The Gleaners and I” (Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse) is a documentary inspired by Jean-François Millet’s 1867 painting “The Gleaners.” In the painting, women bend to gather leftover grain from harvested fields, a practice once legally protected in rural France. Using this image as a starting point, Varda traveled across the French countryside with a handheld video camera to meet modern-day gleaners, including people collecting surplus crops from fields, discarded food from markets, and even oysters washed ashore after storms. Some are struggling to meet basic needs; others are artists, activists, or idealists reclaiming what society has deemed waste. Together, they reveal gleaning as both a survival strategy and a quiet form of resistance to consumer culture. The film is guided by Varda’s warm, playful narration, blending social commentary with humor, curiosity, and moments of unexpected beauty.

“The Gleaners and I” screening at Lincoln Theater provides an opportunity to reflect on how food, dignity, creativity, and community intersect, and how small, thoughtful acts can make a tangible difference close to home, and Healthy Lincoln County and the Lincoln County Gleaners are doing just that. Healthy Lincoln County, is a nonprofit organization based in Damariscotta providing support and resources to meet health needs, improve health outcomes, and strengthen community connections.

The Lincoln County Gleaners has formed relationships with local farms, food system organizations, and volunteers. Between May 2025 and January 2026, the Lincoln County Gleaners, alongside their partners, helped plant, harvest, collect, deliver, process, and distribute nearly 11,000 pounds of fresh produce.

There is one free screening: Tuesday Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. The documentary is in French with English subtitles and runs 1 hour and 22 minutes. Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St. in the heart of downtown Damariscotta.

More information is available online at LincolnTheater.org or by contacting the theater office at info@LincolnTheater.org and by calling the theater at 563-3424.