Films

The summer draws to a close, but the season is not yet over. Work continues — baiting and hauling traps, sorting and shipping lobsters. There are always tasks to be done. But within the daily demands of the fishing season, there are moments of respite and community.

George’s Place comprises seven films that document a year in the life of Maine lobster fisherman, George Sprague. The series offers an intimate view of a distinctive way of life that unfolds according to the seasons and coastal landscape of Downeast Maine. George Sprague has long been known for his "cellar" (affectionately called the whine cellar), a place where people gather to talk, make lobster traps, and to share news and stories. The different films explore the skill and knowledge of a lobster fisherman, honed over decades of living and working in Buck’s Harbor. At the same time, they reveal how together, George and his friends, forge a rich sense of community and belonging through shared practice, experience, and humour.

Anna Grimshaw is the author of The Ethnographer’s Eye and co-author of Observational Cinema. For the last 10 years, she has been making films in Machiasport, a small fishing town in Downeast Maine. In 2013 she completed a four-part film work, Mr Coperthwaite: a life in the Maine Woods (Berkeley Media/RAI), a companion piece, A Chair: in six parts (RAI), and At Low Tide (RAI). She teaches at Emory University.