Photo courtesy of Heaven Scent FilmsKevin Tomlinson, director of “Back to the Garden, flower power comes full circle,” in 1988, filming a Healing Gathering near Tonasket. He kept this footage for 20 years before reconnecting with the people from the g

TONASKET – The Community Cultural Center will be premiering the documentary film “Back to the Garden, flower power comes full circle” tomorrow, Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m.

The film, directed by Kevin Tomlinson, centers around a healing gathering he attended near Tonasket in 1988. At this gathering, he interviewed a group of back-to-the-landers and in the film, he reconnects with six of them 18 years later. The film features several local residents such as OnePine, Skeeter (Michael Pilarski), Gail Hogan and Dorina Fonda as well as others.

Tomlinson said he was inspired to film this gathering because he wanted to know whether the search for environmental utopia was working for the group of back-to-the-landers.

“I was intrigued by their desire for community, simplicity and self reliance,” he added. “But that only become apparent to me recently. I didn’t know then what I was trying to accomplish; I just felt that something about them needed to be preserved, that there was something of value and depth, that their stories of struggle and hope were as compelling as any search for the American dream.”

The footage from the 1988 healing gathering sat in boxes in Tomlinson’s basement for 20 years because he said he was sure what to do with it.

“Feeling doubtful that it would be taken seriously at the time and not knowing what else to do, I hung onto it,” Tomlinson said. “I can see now, looking back, the timing was premature. It just wasn’t ready. We weren’t ready. We weren’t ready to listen. But I hope we are now.”