Imaginary Line

At one time a single settlement shared both sides of the Saint John River, until a political trade-off split it down the middle. From that inauspicious start, the Maine-New Brunswick border, the first boundary to be drawn between Canada and the U.S., has served as a microcosm for relations between the two nations. For centuries, friends, lovers, schemers, and smugglers have reached across the line. Now, post 9/11, political paranoia has led to a sharp divide, disrupting the lives of residents caught in the middle of world events. An elderly Canadian couple's driveway touches the border, leading to a Kafkaesque overreaction by homeland Security. The Tea Party calls for complete border shutdown. Once friendly neighbours have become increasingly isolated from each other. In this timely exploration, Jacques Poitras travels the length of the border -- from Madawaska and Aroostook counties through Passamaquoddy Bay to a tiny island still in dispute -- to uncover an arbitrary line that shouldn't be there, almost wasn't there, and can be difficult to find even when it is there. The stakes are high as New Brunswick and Maine re-imagine their relationship for the 21st century.