Free Program Includes Film Screening & Moderated Panel Discussion
Sag Harbor, NY — Sag Harbor Cinema continues its “Projections” series on Sunday, December 14th, from 11am-1pm, with The Bonackers Project. This event is free to the public and will feature a screening of the documentary The Bonackers followed by the panel discussion “The Bonackers Project: Currents of Memory & Meaning,” which explores the layered histories of the communities that have shaped the East End.
The Bonackers documentary tells the story of the fiercely independent men and women whose families have fished and farmed the land and seas of the East End of Long Island for almost 400 years. Holding onto their traditions in spite of ever-increasing obstacles, the Bonackers’ wisdom, challenges, and stories unfold as we head out onto their boats and bays, and into their farms and fields. Historic footage and photographs from Adelaide de Menil’s “Men’s Lives Project” are layered throughout along with the songs of the sea.
The panel will feature Joanne Friedland Roberts, director and producer of The Bonackers Project; Shane Weeks, Director of Research and Education at the Metoac Indigenous Collective; Charlie Niggles, fisherman and farmer at Round Swamp Farm; and Stacy Myers, Education Director at East Hampton Historical Society. François de Menil, Principal and Founder of FdM:Arch, documentary filmmaker, and Sag Harbor Cinema Board Member, will moderate the discussion and the Q&A that follows.
Sag Harbor Cinema founded the “Projections” series in 2021 with the goal to amplify the work of East End organizations and cultural initiatives by providing a space to have conversations and to build audiences using the Cinema’s facility, network, and digital presence.
“Producing and directing The Bonackers documentary has been a deeply meaningful experience for me, recording the stories, struggles, traditions and history of the fisherman and farmers here on the East End of Long Island,” says Joanne Friedland Roberts. “I’m grateful for their trust and happy to be sharing this film as part of Sag Harbor Cinema’s “Projections” series—the very series where I first met the film’s cinematographer, Julian Alvarez, and editor, Sam Hamilton.”
“We are very pleased to present The Bonackers and provide a space for this important conversation about East End heritage and identity,” says Genevieve Villaflor, Sag Harbor Cinema’s Executive Director. “The film captures the resilience and traditions of communities who have shaped our region for centuries, and the discussion that follows will help us all think more deeply about what these stories mean for our community today.”
Following the program, Canio’s Books will be on-site selling local interest titles, including Peter Matthiessen’s Men’s Lives and other books about East End history. The East Hampton Historical Society will also share archival photographs on a digital touchscreen monitor, including images featured in the film.
The “Projections” series was created by Bill Collage, SHC Education Committee Chair, and SHC ED Villaflor. It is organized by Dr. Meghan McGinley Arnone, SHC Director of Education & Grants Management.
This event is free to the public, but space is limited. Reserve a spot to attend this community program at www.sagharborcinema.org.
This edition of “Projections” is generously sponsored by the Peter and Susan Solomon Family Foundation.
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About Sag Harbor Cinema
As a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) community-based organization, Sag Harbor Cinema (SHC) is dedicated to presenting the past, present, and future of the movies and to preserving and educating about films, filmmaking, and the film-going experience in its three state-of-the-art theaters. The Cinema engages its audiences and the community year-round through dialogue, discovery, and appreciation of the moving image—from blockbusters to student shorts and everything in between. Revitalized and reimagined through unprecedented community efforts to rebuild the iconic Main Street structure after a fire nearly destroyed it in 2016, SHC continues a long historic tradition of entertainment in the heart of Sag Harbor Village. Visit www.sagharborcinema.org for more information.
About The Bonackers Project
The Bonackers is a documentary produced and directed by Joanne Friedland Roberts that tells the survival story of the fiercely independent men and women whose families have fished and farmed the land and seas of the East End of Long Island for almost 400 years. Through community conversations, the project inspires deeper thinking about what we all stand to lose if centuries-old cultures like this one disappear. The documentary features historic footage from Local TV East Hampton’s “hidden archive” and photographs from Adelaide de Menil’s “Men’s Lives Project.” The Bonackers Project is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Learn more at www.thebonackers.com.