On the idyllic island of Lipari near Sicily a few traditional swordfish hunters are still active. The days are over where these fishermen were self-evidently succeeded by their sons.
On board Nino’s ship, the reigning peace is not what it appears to be. The twelve-man crew that mans the small boat is in complete concentration. They peer at the water surface, looking for their prey. While the diesel engine stamps monotonously, the hours pass and we wait patiently. Then an excited noise erupts from the crow’s nest: a swordfish couple has been spotted!
Lipari pays homage to an almost extinct profession.
Review
The film is completely amazing, showing an almost extinct profession, with different shots and sounds that take you to very boat itself. Like the best ways of Melville’s Moby Dick novel. (Comment on Future Short)
DVD
Director
Frank van den Engel
Frank van den Engel (Rotterdam 1956). He started the independent documentaryfilm productioncompany Zeppers Film. Since then he produced more than 75 films for cinema and television; some of them awarded at prestigious international festivals: Andre Hazes – she believes in me (Joris Ivens Award IDFA 1999), Voices of Bam (Special Mention Tribeca Film Festival), Boris Ryzhy (Silver Wolf IDFA 2008) and 900 Days (Best Dutch Documentary, IDFA 2011).
Nowadays he combines his work as producer with the filmdirecting. His debut Normaal – I always come back was released in cinema in 2002. His second feature Between Heaven and Earth was released in 2007. Photo & Copyright by G.P. Fieret (50′) was nominated for a Golden Calf in 2009 and his latest documentary film The Next Big Thing for NTR’s Uur van de Wolf was broadcast in spring 2014.
Credits
Cinematography: Melle van Essen
Camera assistent: Sander Roeleveld
Sound: Pieter Guyt
Editor: Riekje Ziengs, Frederik Nicolai
Producer: Willemijn Cerutti, Jorinde Soree
With the support from Dutch Film Fund.