Feature documentary to spotlight impacts of climate change on fishing families.
Filmmaker, videographer, and photographer Harrison Buck has announced a feature film project focused on the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of two of Grand Bahama’s original fly fishing guide families, produced by Buck’s production company Pandion Creative.
Entitled Meko, the feature produced and directed by Buck is a juxtaposition of a society built upon mass tourism and the realities and hardships that hide behind that curtain in the wake of an ever-changing environment. Starring professional fishing guides Omeko “Meko” Glinton and Abbie Schuster, Meko seeks to encapsulate what it means to work in an industry defined by the world we live in.
“We have all along been trying to make a film that is far away from the industry standard. There’s plenty of that out there and more shots of white dudes holding fish and fish taking flies is not our film. We have a story about a man, his family, a legacy and all that their community has gone through.”
Far from the typical fishing film, Meko will debut on the 2024 film festival scene with a powerful message for those who hold affection for wild places and the people who live in them. “I think that the world is familiar with the beautiful natural resources that the Bahamas has to offer and less aware of how beautifully strong, resilient, and welcoming the people who call it home are. I want to help tell THEIR story,” continued Buck.
But Buck and his team have their goals set on capturing a much larger audience.
“We have some very relatable human storylines that are way bigger than just fishing. I have a dream of this film being seen and appreciated by a large audience that has never heard of fly fishing. We set out to make a film about a guide and his family. We could have never foreseen Hurricane Dorian doing what it did, or COVID right after, or Meko losing his brother after that, or losing his visa … the best docs in my mind start out with a great story and uncover an even better one.”
The film is currently in final rounds of editing and will be casting a wide net for submission at both outdoor and mainstream film festivals with the goal of creating awareness and support for the people of the Bahamas and the uncertain future they face due to climate change.
