Saving Walden's World -- Opening

This opening was edited by Jennifer J. Mayer while fine-cut editing the film with us in Maine.
THE FILM
When a young arms dealer discovers his work is harming families in less affluent societies, he has an ethical crisis and begins a decades- long journey to redeem himself and make the world a better place. SAVING WALDEN’S WORLD is a revealing new film following Jim Merkel as he raises Walden, a budding scientist, in an off-the-grid homestead and wonders: could the very people his past-life’s work targeted, hold the keys to a sustainable planet?
A journey into “enemy” territory ensues, meeting powerful women who reshape society to work for all. Far from affluent utopias, Kerala, Cuba and Slovenia offer women free college, access to contraception, maternity leave, childcare, dentistry and healthcare. Services unimaginable in much of Jim’s blue-collar America.
As earth temperatures soar, the stakes couldn’t get higher.
WHY THIS FILM
Immerse yourself in this intimate father-son exploration of a global shift, where personal and collective decisions about procreation and consumption ripple through generations, resulting in fewer yet healthier children. Land reform and literacy movements offered a route out of poverty. Our inspiring film spotlights the dividends of decades of policies towards social justice.
As population pressures ease driven by the empowerment of women and education, we encounter a stark reality. Many nations are manipulated by a fear of economic decline and attempt to coerce more consumption and births. Could this jeopardize the very progress women are making towards averting the 6th extinction?
“As a former engineer working on weapons, his words have a special power.”
Howard Zinn, Historian