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It wasn’t what you’d expect walking into that historic house on east Chillicothe Avenue in Bellefontaine on Thursday night, May 15. Oh, it looked old and carried the scent of generations. But the rooms were filled with people and recording equipment and an unusual amount of silence. Outside, the street was blocked off by police cars with flashing lights.
One group gathered around a small TV in the living room. The rest took care of their assigned roles upstairs. And they all watched quietly as actor Will Poulter performed a short scene while the cameras rolled.
You might have noticed something going on around town over the last several weeks, especially with the blocked streets. But in case you hadn’t heard, a director chose Bellefontaine to be the set location for a movie titled Union County. They started filming April 21 and wrapped it up on Friday, May 16.
Director Adam Meeks poured seven years of research and preparation into the film, which tells the story of a Cody Parsons, a young man, played by Poulter, who is going through a small town adult-recovery program.
Meeks was compelled to make the movie after hearing about family and friends dealing with opioid addiction. In particular, his aunt and uncle, who live in Marysville, told him about loved ones who had died due to the drug.
“I was interested in what was happening in this part of Ohio in terms of the opioid epidemic,” Meeks explained. “So I came and stayed with my aunt and uncle, and that’s when I was introduced to the drug court judge in Logan County.”
That judge, William Goslee, invited Meeks to sit in on a meeting. He was immediately taken in by the level of empathy in the room as they heard stories of hope and recovery. He then met Annette Deao, program director for the county drug court and, he said, they became “fast friends.”
With Deao’s help, Meeks was introduced to more people who could offer assistance. He was given open-door access to the drug court.
The idea first inspired a 14-minute short, which was released in 2020 with the same title and can be found on YouTube. But Meeks couldn’t get away from the possibility of turning it into a feature film. The subject just felt too important to ignore the potential.
Though Meeks wrote the screenplay, the movie is also part documentary, with several residents playing themselves, including Deao and Logan County Common Pleas Judge Kevin Braig. Other residents answered a casting call on April 11, leading to small parts as extras. Former Bellefontaine Mayor Ben Stahler was one of those chosen for a short scene.
Besides meeting Poulter — who Stahler described as “soft-spoken and very courteous to all of us” — Stahler, his wife, Sara, and several other locals participated in the first day of shooting. Their part was simple: walk into the courthouse. But when it comes to making a movie, there’s always more to it.
“It was kind of comical,” Stahler said. “We had to repeat the scene seven or eight times. Each take was slightly different. We might be asked to walk faster or slower, to look down or to the left, etc.”
The crew also filmed the actual Logan County adult recovery program graduation ceremony at Myeerah Nature Preserve May 5. The story not only delves into the struggles of drug addiction, but celebrates the successes as well.
“It’s a story of hope and it illuminates the tough, real issues people across the country are facing,” Faye Tsakas, one of the film’s producers, said. “And it highlights the work people are doing to help addicts get back on their feet.”
According to Tsakas, one of Meeks’ favorite quotes is “The opposite of addiction is connection.” It’s that sense of community they want to express in the film. And they were looking for a place willing to collaborate with them in telling the story. They found that here in Logan County.
The house they filmed in on east Chillicothe Avenue, which has been in Ron Bensman’s family for generations, served as the recovery house “Cody” stayed in. It had the look they wanted and is just a few doors down from an actual Logan County recovery home.
“Bellefontaine has been incredible,” Meeks said. “We’ve felt embraced by the community in every way. A lot of people are sad to leave.”
But Meeks and some of the others will be back. According to Tsakas, they plan to hold a screening of the film at the Holland Theatre when it’s released. The Examiner will keep you updated on that.