Leo & Dale is a nostalgic documentary about love, loss, and the ways
we seek connection with those who came before us. Told from the filmmaker’s
perspective, the story centers on Dale, a devoted collector of cars and license plates,
and how his passions became the conduit for connection, particularly with his father,
Leo, whom he lost at a young age. Through personal reflection, archival material, and
the physical presence of Dale’s collection, the film becomes a portrait of Dale, and a
tender meditation on memory, identity, and what the objects we hold onto come to mean
over a lifetime.
Dustin Meltzer is a filmmaker, photographer, and theater artist based in Meriden,
New Hampshire where he serves on the Arts Faculty at his alma mater, Kimball Union
Academy. Leo & Dale, Dustin’s first long-form documentary film, is a 2025 selection in
the Davis Film Festival and received an honorable mention at the 2025 Tir Ddraig Frilm
Festival.
A Film by Dustin Meltzer
Starring Dale Meltzer
Cinematography by Emu Haynes & Dustin Meltzer
Sound by Stephen Rogers & Dustin Meltzer
Archival footage filmed by Leo Meltzer, Laura Delia Fellows Meltzer, & Donald Meltzer
