The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
HEROES ON THE HALF SHELL
NEW HAVEN FILMMAKER AT WORK ON OYSTERING DOCUMENTARY
As someone with a strong interest in environmentalism, Steve Hamm is fascinated by oysters and the whole business of oystering.
Hamm, 69, of New Haven, is a documentary filmmaker who first became drawn to Connecticut’s oystering industry while making a film about Connecticut’s Mill River. During that project, Hamm interviewed Norwalk-based oyster farmer Norm Bloom and watched crews at work.
“It was just fascinating,” Hamm said. “I loved the sea and I loved the ships.”
He also loved the role that oysters play in preserving the environmental health of the water they live in. The bivalves effectively filter the water, consuming algae, and removing excess nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
“I was attracted by that,” Hamm said. “The idea of an industry that makes the environment better is very unusual.”
Hamm decided that oysters and oyster farming would be the subject of his next project. He began shooting the film, titled “An Oysterman’s Life,” in January, and plans to continue shooting it into October. His goal is to have it completed in early 2022, in time for the film festival season.
A freelance writer by trade, Hamm has been making films for roughly four years. Past projects include “The Village: Life in New Haven’s Little Italy,” “Shift Change,” about community policing in New Haven; and “Fentanyl Madness,” about the opioid crisis. He said he is drawn to topics that can open the door to discussion and education.
“I usually start with an interesting and important topic,” Hamm said. “I refer to these as ‘communitybuilding projects.’ I see them as an opportunity to build bridges, to bring people together and to take action in some cases.”
In the case of the Little Italy film, Hamm said, he was upset by the ways that some politicians, including then-President Donald Trump, characterized immigrants, and he wanted to show that immigration has a long history in the United States.
“I wanted to make point that today’s immigrants were like the immigrants of 100 years ago,” he said.
With “An Oysterman’s Life,” Hamm is hoping to teach people about oysters and the long, rich history of the oystering industry. His collaborators on the project include editor Scott Amore and singer/songwriter Christopher Bousquet of American Elm, who is working on the soundtrack.
According to Hamm’s research, in the 19th century, Connecticut was one of the top oystering areas in the country, but the industry took a hit in the mid-20th century, due to over-fishing, pollution and other issues. Oystering rebounded in the past decade, but faced challenges again recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the bar and restaurant industry.
Hamm was enthralled by the rise and fall and rise of oystering. He was also interested in Bloom, whose Bloom and Son farm is a fourth generation, familyowned business that has been around since the 1940s. “There’s just a wonderful history there,” Hamm said.
While shooting the film, Hamm has conducted one central interview, with Bloom. Otherwise, he said, he plans to have the movie largely consist of footage of ships in the water, oyster farmers preparing for their work and other images evocative of oystering.
“I have been trying to let pictures and sounds tell the stories more and more,” Hamm said. “I think so much of what we experience (in films) is just flicks of things.”
His goal was to provide lingering, contemplative images, accompanied by evocative music. Already, Hamm has created a short music video of sorts for the project, featuring footage of oystering set to Bousquet’s song “Gloria.” He said he wants people to sit with the film’s images and think about them.
“I’m into contemplation,” Hamm said. “In lots of ways, I feel like contemplation is the enemy of distraction.”