Monthly Film Series Begins January 20th
New Bedford, Mass.— New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the Working Waterfront Festival are pleased to announce the second season of their monthly film series. Dock-U-Mentaries will screen films about the working waterfront on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.
Over the past eight years, the Working Waterfront Festival has amassed a sizeable collection of documentary films on many aspects of the working port including life at sea, fishing families, marine ecology, fisheries science, regulations, seafood cooking and more. “This series provides an exciting opportunity to showcase the best films we have come across over the years,” says Festival Director Laura Orleans. Many programs will be followed by a discussion. Some will include a panel from the local fishing community. Others will present a question and answer session with the filmmaker or a narrated slide talk on a particular theme.
The first six programs of 2012 are:
January 20
Storm Warriors: The Story of the U.S. Life Saving Service (55 minutes)
Storm Warriors tells the dramatic story of shipwrecks and rescues in America's early Coast Guard, the United States Life-Saving Service. These heroes of the surf used iron courage and super-human efforts to rescue shipwreck victims. Local history buffs will be interested to note that the Coast Guard Academy got its start in New Bedford in 1877 with the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction located at the north end of Fish Island.
February 17
Silent Film Double Feature:
The Sailor’s Sacrifice (1909 film, 13 minutes)
A short romance drama by the Vitagraph Company shot in southern Maine. A sailor leaves his family to go to sea and is thought lost when his boat sinks. The family loses its home and the young woman has to dig clams with her dog Jean.
Down to the Sea in Ships (1922, 83 minutes)
This whaling drama is most famous as the screen debut of Clara Bow. Besides that, it is also solid entertainment, offering both the best (documentary-like scenes of a whale being gutted) and the worst (some scenery-devouring histrionics) that silent film had to offer. Shot on locations in New Bedford and New England, the intertitles are sprinkled with quotes from Moby Dick and other whaling books.
March 16
What's Cookin’ on the Cape - Bay Scallops
Cape Cod commercial shell fisherman Galon “Skip” Barlow, Jr. takes us from the ocean to the plate, providing tried and true methods for harvesting and cooking bay scallops with a complete lesson in how to find the shellfish you are looking to harvest, regulations to follow on sizes and limits, necessary gear and traditional recipes. Mr. Barlow will be on hand to answer questions following the film.
April 20
Ruthie B., Ruthie B. (45 minutes)
The story of the Bill and Ruthie Blount, the last fishing family on Nantucket: their struggles to stay afloat financially, Bill's determination to pursue a career that gives him satisfaction if not monetary rewards, Ruth's worries over being in debt, and her efforts to contribute to the family's income.
May 18
Double Feature: Challenges Facing Working Waterfronts
Maine’s Disappearing Working Waterfront
A short film touching on issues surrounding the loss of the Working Waterfront on the Maine Coast. Of 5 thousand miles of coastline, only 25 miles remain as Working Waterfront.
In Their Own Words: Perseverance and Resilience in Two Florida Fishing Communities
A short documentary that examines the changes endured by two Florida coastal communities as they struggle with issues of natural resource dependence and coastal development.
The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The free festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England's commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen's contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kids’ activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America's #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September. Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The national park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open seven days a week, from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-3 PM. The visitor center is wheelchair-accessible, and is free of charge.
For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov, or visit the park’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NBWNHP
