SPECIAL SCREENING IN COLLABORATION WITH SAIL MV, TO BENEFIT THEIR PROGRAMMING.
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story.
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.
Matthew Stackpole, at Gannon and Benjamin boatyard. Dawn. Photo by Mark Lovewell.
SCREENING: Matthew Stackpole grew up on the grounds of Mystic Seaport where his father was Curator from 1953 until 1966. He served as first mate of the 108ft topsail schooner Shenandoah for 5 summers. He was an American History teacher at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, and later was Director of Development and Public Relations for the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and President Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Foundation, Executive Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and a member of the Board of Directors of the USS Constitution Museum. Matthew was a Ship’s Historian for the Charles W. Morgan Restoration and 38th Voyage and is a past president of Sail MV. He is currently a Maritime Consultant.
“Sure it’s old-school. So what. Howard puts every computerized whale trick in the book into crafting a seafaring adventure to rock your boat.” -Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
“Howard creates an immersive, gorgeously shot experience pitting man against beast in the ocean for the film’s most spectacular scenes, which are reminiscent of old-school scope of Mutiny on the Bounty and other watery adventures of yesteryear.” -Brian Truitt, USA Today
