BELFAST — The Colonial Theatre is partnering with Upwell Psychiatry to present Quiet the Sirens, a documentary film focusing on psychedelics-based treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in first responders. According to a Colonial Theatre news release, all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to first responders recovering from this year’s fire at the Robbins Lumber Mill. 

This one-night special presentation will take place Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m, at the Colonial Theatre. The evening will include a screening of the documentary and a post-screening community discussion. 

Quiet the Sirens is a feature-length documentary by Mike Bernard that follows the journeys of three firefighters as they confront and recover from the effects of PTSD. Their quests for wellness lead them to an innovative Canadian mental health program that combines group therapy, peer support, and psychedelic-assisted ketamine treatment, offering new options for individuals who have not found relief through conventional care.

“I chose to bring this film to communities here in Maine because, as a culture, we've become accustomed to suffering alone,” says Jaclyn Burskey, of Upwell Psychology, in a Colonial Theatre news release. “And I think this film offers another perspective: Perhaps the real medicine is found in coming together, where we can find ways to bear what feels unbearable, expand our understanding of what's possible, and reconnect with something fundamental about being human: that we all suffer, that none of us are meant to go it alone, and that community is essential. My hope is that this film creates space for that kind of remembering.”

“Jaclyn had reached out to us prior to the Robbins Lumber Mill fire to organize this screening,” says cam howard, Colonial Theatre Program Director. “We are really hoping that hosting this film screening will provide a setting where we can continue to process the impacts of the fire on our community.” 

Tickets cost $15 and are available at the box office or in advance through the Colonial Theatre’s website.

The Colonial Theatre is located at 163 High Street in downtown Belfast, Maine.

The Colonial Theatre is owned and operated by Hawthorne Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization rooted in the preservation of the century-old theatre and its continued operation as a cinema and arts hub. For more information, visit colonialtheatre.com.