World-renowned marine photographer Benjamin Mendlowitz will be the first presenter at “Maritime Matinees in March,” a new four-part series hosted by Mystic Seaport beginning Saturday, March 6, from 1 - 3:30 p.m. The series, which continues Saturdays, March 13, 20 and 27, will be held at the Mystic Art Cinema in Olde Mistick Village. Through film, visual presentations and discussion, the programs will reveal the varying challenges and balance between truth and fiction behind each maritime story.
Scheduled presentations are:
March 6 - “The Marine Photography of Benjamin Mendlowitz” – Having traveled the globe for more than 25 years to photograph wooden boats, Mendlowitz is well-known throughout the boating world for his contributions to nautical publications and for his award-winning annual Calendar of Wooden Boats®. Seven books of his photography have been published to date.
A visual presentation will illustrate the beauty and fine craftsmanship of the wooden boats captured in Mendlowitz’s photographs. A question-and-answer session will follow.
March 13 – “American Fisheries” – Local filmmaker Bailey Pryor and producer Stephen Jones explore the dramatic tale of the 500-year-old North Atlantic cod fishery in Pryor’s film American Fisheries: A Cautionary Tale. Drawing on the sometimes contradictory perspectives of fishermen, ecologists, fisheries managers and historians, the documentary reveals an epic story that stretches from the great Age of Sail to today.
After the screening of the film, Pryor and a team of fishing experts will discuss the embattled fishing industry and implications for the future. American Fisheries was chosen as one of 30 out of 3,000 entries for the prestigious Boston International Film Festival in 2008.
March 20 – “Braving the Northwest Passage” – In November 2009, filmmaker Sprague Theobald and his crew arrived at a dock in Seattle, WA, announcing their return from a five-month Arctic expedition. They had successfully navigated the Northwest Passage and captured more than 250 hours of HD video footage and audio diaries for a new documentary film, Braving the Northwest Passage, due out in 2010.
Theobald will share stories from his journey and a give a sneak preview of footage taken above and below the Arctic waterline.
March 27 – “Maine Built Boats” – Gary Jobson is a world-class sailor, ESPN television commentator, author and corporate advisor. He has won championships in one-design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the Fastnet Race and many of the world's ocean races, and has led expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and Cape Horn.
Jobson will speak about Maine Built Boats, his new documentary that details Maine's boatbuilding industry. Jane Wellehan, president of Maine Built Boats, along with other Maine boat builders will join the filmmaker in a post-program discussion.
Tickets are $40 for the series ($35 for members) or $12 per program ($10 for members) and are available online at www.mysticseaport.org/tickets or by calling 860.572.5322.
For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.
Mystic Seaport in the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.
