Numerous pairs of flip-flops and sandals were kicked off and left at the entrance of the beach on East Salem Avenue in Harvey Cedars Friday evening, April 23, as nearly 100 people from Long Beach Island, the mainland and as far as Pennsylvania gathered at the ocean to be a part of the closing scene of “Landfall: The Eyes of Sandy.” The documentary film, directed by New Jersey resident Andrew Pearson and produced by Corinne Gray Ruff of Surf City, chronicles Superstorm Sandy as it approaches and devastates the communities of Stafford Township and LBI. It focuses on the community approach to life after the storm, a theme that continues to hold true even six months after the disaster.
 |
| Photo by Jack Reynolds Tom and Elizabeth Beaty, their 3-year-old son, Tommy, and their dog, Hank. |
“There’s nothing like the smell of the ocean here,” said Kate Schulze-Bahn, who traveled from Chester Springs, Pa., to stand on the beach with old friends from the area where she grew up. She had originally planned a vigil at the Barnegat Lighthouse in December to remember the victims of Superstorm Sandy and the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., but inclement weather had caused her to officially cancel the event.
“I’ve been all over the world, and there’s nothing like this; this is magic, this is one of those places where you could stand forever,” said Schulze-Bahn. “It’s the place where fishermen, surfers and the sandy feet all come together for the same reason. It’s so great. The second I’m standing here, I know (the long drive) was worth it. I had to come home for this; home is where the heart is. I have to come home for the good stuff,” she added.
Before the filming, children frolicked across the sand and dipped their toes into the cold ocean water.
Families, friends, acquaintances, couples and business owners stoo
d side by side spanning the beach, their faces to the sun and backs to the waves, then vice versa, as Pearson panned across the crowd with his camera, zooming in on each face.
 |
| Photo by Jack Reynolds Andrew Pearson zooms in on each member of the crowd. |
“The film is about the community as a whole,” said Pearson, who had originally planned to produce a documentary covering all of New Jersey one year after the storm until “things snowballed and one thing led to another.”
“It weaves in and out of people’s lives after the storm, whether they’re working in education, business or with the relief efforts. By giving people a chance to come out and be in the final shot of the movie, it’s coming full circle,” he explained.
Tom and Elizabeth Beaty, Holgate residents who lost their home at the Long Beach Island Trailer Park due to the storm, stood at the south end of the line with their 3-year-old son, Tommy, and their dog, Hank. The family is featured in the film for organizing more than 100 volunteers during a cleanup of the area. They recently moved into a rental adjacent to the trailer park after spending many months in various places.
“That’s why we wanted to stand at the south end of the line. It’s all conceptual,” said Elizabeth.
“This whole thing with Jetty and Waves for Water has been awesome,” added Tom, sporting a “Holgate is Our Home” sweatshirt. “There’s been such a great sense of community. We’re just really psyched to be a part of it.”
With the help of police officers directing traffic, the crowd strolled across the Boulevard to the other side at Sunset Park, where the film crew videoed another shot of the crowd, this time standing along the walkway on the bay and holding lit candles.
Kids continued their activities, running across the grassy fields, playing on the swing set and playground, while the adults snapped photos of the bright, setting sun, its radiant light sparkling across the water.
A lantern was released at sunset with cheers from the crowd. Though it appeared to dive into the bay, threatening to go out, it quickly rose into the sky, acting as a small symbol of the destruction that failed to take down LBI and its people.
The film is set to premiere at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 25. All proceeds from the film will benefit The Jetty Rock Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization created with the goal of continuing to aid the families, first responders, businesses and nonprofits with long-term needs post-Sandy.
For more information, visit landfallfilm.com.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
No comments:
Post a Comment