On Oct. 8, the Fountain Theater screened Scarlet Johanssen’s 2025 film, “Eleanor the Great.” The film discusses themes of grief, loneliness, human connection and morality of storytelling starring 95-year-old lead actress, June Sqibb. The event also underscored the Mesilla Valley Film Society efforts to engage more young members in the local film community.
Lisa Day and Linda Sanchez, two members of the Las Cruces community who have attended the theater since 2016, watched the film as part of the theater’s monthly film calendar schedule for October 2025. They discussed the film’s relevancy, and how the film impacted them.
“I thought it was stellar, the best film I’ve seen in ages, and I felt like I was just telling Linda that I felt like every topic that we deal with as elders in the community was touched on in that time. There wasn’t one single thing that was left out. It encompassed everything that we deal with as elders, and it blew my mind,” Day said.
Sanchez recalled looking at the film’s credentials, and how pleasantly surprised she was by the film.
“I just, you know, checked and it seemed like a good movie. I talked about the director, Scarlett Johansson, and I wanted to see her work, and it and just reading the synopsis, it sounded like a, like a great movie, I wanted to see how she portrayed Eleanor. And I really like the character of Eleanor,” Sanchez said.
The Fountain Theater has been a cultural mark since the Mesilla Valley Film Society’s establishment in 1989. The Fountain Theater is managed by the Mesilla Valley Film Society. Carol McCall has been a board member with the Mesilla Valley Film Society for a decade and a volunteer for 30 years. In her current role as a board member of the programming committee, the theater operates daily with the generosity and passion of locals.
“What’s really interesting about [it is] the people who come here. And there’s some of them [who] have been volunteers for a long time because they’re really committed to keeping the fountain theater running. And its really kind of exciting as a whole,” McCall said.
Nancy Sharp, a volunteer for three years and currently a theater manager, often operates the box office and concessions. In its modern-day era, the theater hosts movie nights, and film events. Sharp encouraged filmmakers to reach out about having their film shown at the theater.
“The theater for showings for local directors and artists. We do that regularly. So that may be something to think about absolutely and then promote your film,” Sharp said.
Beyond showcasing and supporting local filmmakers, the theater’s efforts to bring people together extend to unique film experiences and collaborations, creating a lively space for film lovers of all kinds.
“We have something called the Cult Cinema Club, and that’s once a month, and they show old funky movies for October. We’re showing the House on Haunted Hill… And then we also rent the theater to filmmakers and to other nonprofits on nights that we don’t have a movie, just to get exposure, get people in the door, and it’s been used for movies. People have shot movies in here and shot movies out front, and so it’s a real vital part of the community, we think,” McCall stated.
McCall further described the culture theaters bring. She encouraged audiences to attend the Fountain Theater screenings.
“. . . I think that’s what’s really important about seeing movies. Any movie in a movie theater, rather than at home, is you’re sitting in a room with 100 other people, and you’re experiencing the same thing they are at the same time. . . So that’s I just think people who come here and give it a chance will come back, because the movies we show are really good,” McCall stated.
People who would like to get involved in the Mesilla Valley Film Society or Fountain Theater events, attend a screening, rent the theater, or volunteer, can visit the Mesilla Valley Film Society website for details and contact information.
