DENMARK — The story of “Burt’s Bees” is the preeminent Maine success story. Started in 1987 as a partnership between Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz to sell beeswax candles at county fairs, the company quickly bloomed in popularity and reach.

Quimby’s earth-friendly approach and Shavitz’s love for bees proved the perfect combination for this simple, yet incredibly effective partnership. Introducing its world-famous lip-balm in 1991, the company achieved world-wide reknown. Quimby bought out co-founder Shavitz. Eventually, the company relocated to North Carolina and began exclusively manufacturing personal care products. The company was sold to Clorox in 2007.

The lesser-known story is the one about the man who gave his name and image to Burt’s Bees. The reluctant face of a global brand, Shavitz of Burt’s Bees is the subject of this piercing, charming documentary, picturing the life of one of Maine’s—and America’s—most celebrated curmudgeons. Filmed largely in and around the quiet Maine backwoods, where Shavitz spent the bulk of his last 40 years living in a 400-square-foot converted turkey coop without running water or electricity, the film reveals a man at times amused by, at times disdainful of, his status as a global brand icon.

Suggested donation of $5. For more information, visit www.denmarkarts.org or call 207-452-2412.

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