A view of boats in the water from above.

Working Tidal

Sitting out over 30 miles at sea, on the idyllic shores of Nantucket, lies a sudden conundrum. The island has always been part fantasyland and part economic miracle. It's as true today as it was in the 18th century. Before the American Revolution, the island was the equivalent of Silicon Valley. The fishing and harvesting of whale oil skyrocketed the tiny Long Island to be one of the richest ports in the world.

And while the whaling industry has long since eroded, the island's close proximity to high-quality seafood has created a continued demand for local shellfish specifically - the world-renowned Nantucket Bay scallops and local lobsters. It was an ideal fishery...until the island started seeing more and more problems...

A fishery is a place where fish are caught for commercial purposes. They're delicate. You can't take too much from them at once. They're fragile and require constant attention. Islands like Nantucket have a lot in common with fisheries. Nantucket is an ecosystem where if its balance is off, it's left with a domino effect of problems.

This is a story of the year-round locals that fish for the Nantucket scallop fishery, documenting their reaction to today's issues plaguing their livelihood, and the place they call home. Each character shares a different problem that's all of a sudden impacting their way of life for the worse:
Fertilizer, a housing crisis, government regulations, an aging fishery, and a changing ecosystem all create the perfect storm of problems for the island's remaining fishermen.

I have a long relationship with this island, and the year-long inhabitants featured in this film. I've grown an emotional bond with this hard-working, character-rich group of people who are part of a dying community. It's a way of life that is being traded in for a need for a faster, bigger, and shiner life at an alarming rate.

I care for the harbor I grew up exploring, and through a deep appreciation of the local support who help keep the island balanced, feel the need to share their stories. By showing the complexities of the issue and the delicate nature of this situation through personal stories, my goal to come from this film is a call for action. While the problem isn't coming from one angle or any simple fix, I think a solution can be made by asking ourselves, how much is enough, when it comes to balancing our island ecosystem?

Title: Working Tidal
Director: Andrew Cantella
Producer: Andrew Cantella
Length: 20 mins
Language: English
Shooting Location: Nantucket Island, MA
Project Location: Brooklyn, NY

Gallery

A wooden wall with some branches on it
A person laying on the ground near water.
Two men in orange suits on a boat.
A man sitting in the back of a boat.
A man standing in front of some trash.
A man sitting on the back of a boat.
A man standing in front of some sinks and a microwave.
A woman sitting on top of a wooden deck.
A person holding an open shell of food.
A body of water with boats in it.
A large rusty boat in the water.
A house sitting on the grass near water.
A person is holding something in their hands.
A close up of the top part of a cell phone
A truck is driving down the road near a pier.
A large metal structure with many ropes on it.
A close up of an orange and white tree
A close up of some green plants and red flowers
A sign on the side of a pier in front of houses.
A shark sign on the side of a building.
A man sitting in the back of a boat.
A view of the harbor from above with a clock tower.
A large screen monitor on the side of a building.
A woman standing next to an aquarium with purple lights.
A House With A Lake On The Front In Color
A large body of water with many boats in it.
A person holding an open shell of food.
A man standing next to a pile of scallops.
A boat is sitting on the beach near some grass.
A boat is in the distance on the beach.
A view of boats in the water from above.