Small Places Close to Home is a new film from filmmakers, Alan Dater and Lisa Merton. It’s a look at life inside Lester Dunklee’s Machine Shop on Flat Street in Brattleboro, Vermont. This half-hour film was shot over a period of 3 weeks just before this century-old machine shop closed its doors for good. Shot in direct cinema style, there are no interviews or voice overs; the camera observes and captures telling moments – a sculptor looks for advice on how to make her sculpture stand, a farmer needs bushings for his mowing machine, an old friend wants Lester to fix his broken weathervane.

In the past, things were rarely thrown away; they were repaired at shops like Dunklee’s. Small Places Close to Home is a portrait of the end of an era. It is also a portrait of a community; a look at a vibrant place in a small town where you can catch up with friends, exchange opinions, offer and get advice, and have discussions with Lester Dunklee on just about any subject.

There are fewer and fewer places now that draw us together. This film reminds us that rich and diverse communities thrive in small places close to home.