The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) will host a special screening of the award-winning documentary film OBSERVER on Sunday, April 13th 2025, at 3:00 PM at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee, Vermont.
In OBSERVER, filmmaker Ian Cheney embarks on an experiment in which he brings a series of keen-eyed observers – scientists, artists, a hunter – to a range of locations around the world, often without telling them where they are going, and asks them simply to describe what they see.
What unfolds is a deep exploration and celebration of the power of observation: what happens when you find new ways to sense & perceive the world around you? With customary whimsy and a small painted red square that Cheney brings on every journey, the film is an invitation to viewers to find beauty and meaning in even the most quotidian of locales.
“It’s difficult to imagine a better venue for this film, Observer, than the VINS Nature Center,” said Executive Director Alden Smith. “In the film, Ian Cheney travels the world with scientists exploring questions that we at VINS are considering every day, here on the Ottauquechee River in Vermont.” Cheney and Smith have been friends for a long time and have even collaborated on some film projects. Smith continued, “Ian is the best documentary filmmaker I know, and we are so lucky to be chosen as a host site for the screening of his newest achievement.”
Following the screening, attendees will enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the Nature Center, until 6:00PM, receiving an “Observer Kit” to sharpen their perceptual skills in the natural world. The VINS Nature Center provides an ideal setting for this immersive experience, with its network of trails, engaging exhibit spaces, and the breathtaking Forest Canopy Walk—a unique elevated pathway offering visitors a true bird’s-eye perspective of the forest ecosystem.
Event Details:
- What: Screening of the documentary film OBSERVER
- When: Sunday, April 13th 2025, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Where: VINS Nature Center, 149 Natures Way, Quechee, VT
- Cost: $13 General Admission, Free for VINS members
- Tickets: Required in advance at www.vinsweb.org/event/observer-film-screening/