'Lobster War' Documentary To Screen At Coolidge Corner Theatre

BROOKLINE, MA — It has all the elements of a good story; money (lots of money), conflict, love and lobsters. And it's making its Massachusetts premiere at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, Oct. 14.

"Lobster War: The Fight Over the World's Richest Fishing Grounds," a Globe branded film produced by Pulitzer Award-winning Boston Globe reporter and documentary filmmaker David Abel along with award-winning filmmaker Andy Laub, began five years ago as an article in the Boston Globe. Then, shortly after the duo finished another film exploring New England's fishing industry, "Sacred Cod," this felt like a natural continuation of the conversation, said Abel.

Both filmmakers will be on hand for a Q&A at the final capstone night of the GlobeDocs Film Festival at the Coolidge alongside Boston Globe Managing Director Linda Henry. The film has already made a splash, too. In its first showing at the International Maritime Festival, the film won runner-up for best feature film.

"We're honored to make this the capstone of the film festival and there's no better place in the Boston area to have the Massachusetts premiere than the Coolidge Theatre," said Abel who has lived in Jamaica Plain for more than a decade.

The film spotlights a conflict that the U.S. and Canada have had over waters that both countries have claimed since 1783. The disputed sea waters in question have traditionally been fished by US lobster men. But as climate has changed and the Gulf of Maine has warmed faster than nearly any other body of water on the planet, the area’s lobster population has surged. Enter the Canadians to assert their sovereignty and thus battle with American fishermen to capitalize on the new lobster boom.

The film tackles the impacts of climate change and, coincidentally, came out just weeks before the IPCC issued a special climate report. That aspect is not lost on Abel.

"Ultimately my hope is that people will understand that climate change is not a distant threat but actually a very present danger and one that is now affecting people's lives in a very concrete way. I hope that people recognize that the warming of the Gulf of Maine is a consequence of a warming planet," said Abel in a phone interview with Patch.

About 5 years ago Abel reported and wrote a story about the conflict.

"I had no idea about the disputed waters," he said.

The conflict was just heating up and there were increasing reports of patrols and threats of violence. So he went up north to write about it for the Globe. But there's only so much you can fit into a 1,000 word story for the paper.

"There are so many more strands to unravel and tell in a narrative way and a cinematic way. So it stuck with me for years and when we finished our last film, 'Sacred Cod,' about fishing issues. It felt like a similar story, but the right follow up," he said.

His first fishing film highlighted how the warming in the Gulf of Maine has led to the death of the cod population, and follows the impacts that has had on cod fishermen and that industry. But there's something else happening up there, the same warming waters that lead to the death of the cod industry have led to this boom in the lobster catch, particularly in an area of Northeast Maine.

The contrast between the two films might be best expressed in the final shots of each. In "Sacred Cod," the final scene is a long-time cod fisherman telling his right-hand man, a man he's worked with for years, that he can no longer make ends meet. The fisherman has to lay his partner off. The final scene in "Lobster Wars," is decidedly much more optimistic, says Abel, with an image of a brand-new expensive lobster boat being christened.

Where does the love come in?

"This is no romantic comedy," said Abel.

But there is a deep love exhibited in the passion the fishermen have for their job. And he points to the relationship between one of the lobster men he follows - who gets up and heads out to sea every day before 4 a.m. - and his wife.

The Globe began the series of free monthly documentary screenings, GlobeDocs to help build and support the community of documentary film makers, scholars, and fans in the Boston area. The screenings evolved into the GlobeDocs Film Festival, now in its fourth year of bringing thought-provoking films and discussions to audiences, said The Boston Globe's Managing Director Linda Henry in a statement.

“We are proud to take our commitment to documentary films even further by releasing our first feature documentary, LOBSTER WAR,” said Henry.

This is the fourth film Abel and Laub have made together, all of which have been featured at GlobeDocs. One of their previous films, “Sacred Cod,” was broadcast last year on the Discovery Channel.

Tickets for the 74-minute film are available here. See more about the film and scheduled screenings at www.lobsterwar.com.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lobster War, David Abel and Andy Laub