Following a community that has existed for several hundred years, the documentary film CORE.SOUNDERS takes viewers into the Down East communities of North Carolina’s Core Sound region. A production of the North Carolina Language and Life Project, the film was directed by Neal Hutcheson, an alumnus.
The Language and Life Project’s goal is to produce work that serves to research and document the cultural and linguistic history of North Carolina. CORE.SOUNDERS strives to do the same for the fishing communities of the state by exploring their histories and documenting the struggles they have faced in recent years.
Hutcheson said that the narrative line in the film follows a day in the life of a Core Sound community.
“[The film] follows the course of a day spent fishing,” Hutcheson said. “As you go, some of it is experiential as you’re exposed to the fishing. You learn about the quality of their life and the challenges they’re facing.”
Hutcheson said that this main thread of the film will be fleshed out with a more in-depth look at the history of the Core Sound area.
Dealing with a community made a straight narrative harder to accomplish, but Hutcheson said he feels that the film will do a good job representing what their lives are like.
The film began as more of a side project — the idea of making a film was not originally on Hutcheson’s mind.
“It sort of started without much focus,” Hutcheson said. “I started just filming things I was interested in without the concept of doing a film. I would say it didn’t really take focus and gain traction for a couple of years until I got to know the people over a three to four year period.”
After spending enough time in the area, Hutcheson realized there was an opportunity to show audiences a side of the fishing industry that they may not think about. In particular, Hutcheson said the film shows how involved in environmental issues the fishermen are.
Hutcheson explained that many of the fishermen are recognized and advocated for by conservation groups because of their efforts.
“One of the ideas in the movies that may be novel to some people is that fishermen are stewards of the resources on the coast,” Hutcheson said. “They’re always the first ones to report it if there are issues. They’re not always portrayed as being as sympathetic to the environment as they really are.”
Hutcheson said he hopes the film will allow audiences to not only understand what life is like in the Core Sound area, but also get a bigger sense of the change taking hold of many similar communities around the state.
Because the community is changing so quickly, the film has already become a historical document, Hutcheson said.
“I think it’s specifically about that area, but it’s also a community that’s representative of other areas and cultures facing the same challenges,” Hutcheson said.
CORE.SOUNDERS aims to explore the issues and history of the Core Sound area with a personal, human approach. The film’s premiere event on March 14 is full, but a second screening is scheduled at 3 p.m. on March 16 in Witherspoon Student Cinema. More information can be found at coresounders.com
