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Documentary to Reflect Life in a Traditional N.C. Fishing Town
 
GREENSBORO – Matthew Barr, associate professor of broadcasting and cinema at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has always been interested in documenting the working class. His last project followed carnival workers. For the past three years, he has directed his camera lens toward the fishing town of Snead’s Ferry, N.C., 45 miles north of Wilmington.

“I’m interested in working class communities, whether they’re carnies, fishermen or textile workers,” Barr said. “I’ve had blue collar jobs myself and I’ve felt no one pays attention to regular people.”

The inhabitants of Snead’s Ferry are the last of the small-scale, traditional fishermen. They are shrimpers, crabbers and fin fishermen. Some of their families have lived near the mouth of the New River for 300 years.

A former screenwriter and photographer, Barr shot nearly 800 pictures and over 95 hours of videotape during his visits to Snead’s Ferry. He collected tales of bravery about fishermen who were nearly drowned and continue to face the perils of the sea. He participated in community events, such as the annual Shrimp Festival, and listened to the concerns faced by the residents.

In the film, Barr will explore many issues that threaten to destroy the town’s livelihood and alter its character. He touches on competition from sports fishermen and importers, the dangers of pollution, unstable market prices and the reluctance of the younger generation to continue the family trade.

Editing of the film should be complete in early spring 2004, and it will air on UNC-TV. Barr also recently received a $10,000 North Carolina See Grant to publish an oral history book to accompany his documentary.

“You can’t put all this in a movie,” he said. “The book will allow me to tell a more complete story.”
 

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