Sag Harbor Cinema Celebrates Earth Day With Films

Sag Harbor Cinema will screen Anne Belle’s 1976 film short film “Baymen — Our Waters are Dying,” recently restored by the New York Public Library, together with Greek filmmaker Leon Loisios’ “Fishermen and Fishing” (1961). The screenings will take place on Sunday, April 21, at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a presentation by the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays initiative, with a special focus on the Sag Harbor Stewardship Site.

“Baymen– Our Waters Are Dying” portrays the life of clam diggers on the East End and the growing concerns over water pollution and commercial fishing. It will be screened in 16mm, marking the first time the cinema uses its 16mm projector. “Fishermen and Fishing” is a short documentary about the communal life of fishermen of the Molyvos community on the island of Lesbos, Greece in the early 1960s. Shot in beautiful black and white that echoes Italian neorealism, the film is narrated by the acclaimed Greek director Stavros Tornes.

“This program combines a rewarding cinematic experience — the screening of two rare archival short documentaries about marine communities on the East End and on a Greek Island — with the opportunity to directly engage with an ongoing effort to preserve the well-being of our waters, its flora and fauna,” said Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, the cinema’s artistic director. “It will make for a thought provoking afternoon.”

“Baymen-- Our Waters are Dying is a work of immeasurable value, both as an historical record of 1976 and as a tool for community engagement and education,” said Elena Rossi-Snook, The New York Public Library’s film collection specialist. “For Long Islanders in 2024 to be able to see and hear and learn directly from those who were in this area, working these waters, caring about this same community is the reason the Library collects and preserves this kind of film.”

The two films complement each other, as they both reflect life in small fishing communities. Although both films are over 50 years old, the topics of ocean habitat sustainability and the livelihood of small fishing communities are prescient. The two short documentaries will be followed by a presentation from the Back to the Bays initiative.

"In a time when we regularly witness the realities of our changing planet, it is important to show people that through science, education and stewardship, we can help ensure the East End remains the beautiful and bountiful place we all love,” said Kate Rossi-Snook, Back to the Bays aquaculture coordinator.

“We are excited to establish Sag Harbor in our network of Stewardship Sites, enabling us to get the public involved in improving the health of our bays alongside our team of experts in carefully planned long-term restoration efforts,“ added Kim Barbour, Back to the Bays director.

Tickets for the program are available at sagharborcinema.org. Sag Harbor Cinema is at 90 Main Street, Sag Harbor.