Oh Yes, There Was a Time

The Cape Cod fishing industry once spun off tales that remain the stuff of legend, a legend shared in this short documentary.

What tales to oldtime fishermen tell?

19 September 2024 - PROVINCETOWN, MA - (20:44) Fishermen's lives are shaped by necessity, by weather, and by resilience. There is an inherent respect for the sea that old timers know all too well, based on experiences that proved to be both lifesaving and heartbreaking. 

In this short documentary film, seasoned fishermen share valuable lessons learned on the water. Shaped by both a way of life and a profession built of stamina, character and guts, these Provincetown fishermen have seen a once abundant industry in their town dwindle down to a small fleet struggling to keep their fish tales alive.

Through daunting challenges as powerful as the sea that shaped it, commercial fishing has faced increased economic pressures, forcing many  to leave the industry. While fishing can be rewarding, fewer new generations are entering the profession, leaving this small Cape Cod town looking back and sharing its tales, tales which reflect a sense of longing, and a cultural memory of a time when the fish and the stories they told seemed wild and endless. Today, most of these tales survive only in memory but there was time .., oh yes, there was a time.

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