I had no idea what to expect when Peninsula College (PC) asked to screen THE MEMORY OF FISH in their Magic of Cinema series, but I couldn't say no. Thanks to the foresight of our very own Emma Jones, PC took a risk and agreed to show the film simultaneously in two venues (Little Theater and Maier Performance Hall). This idea to juggle two venues was a little crazy and had never been done before on campus. Organizations also stepped up. American Rivers, North Olympic Land Trust, North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and Coastal Watershed Institute all sent representatives who set up information booths and joined us on stage for Q+As in both venues. Emma was right and the extra community coordination payed off. The Port Angeles hometown crowd showed up, selling out an unforgettable event.
PC has been a part of this film from the beginning. It was PC Professor Bruce Hattendorf who first introduced me to Emma Jones in 2010. It was PC that hosted the Elwha River Science Symposium September 15-16, 2011, where Dick Goin received a lifetime achievement award and spoke to an anxious crowd counting the hours for the dam removal project to kick off. And, it was in PC's Little Theater in 1983 that Dick Goin gave his legendary plea for the Elwha, the speech that was used throughout the film. Hearing Dick's voice again in the Little Theater was haunting and powerful – the magic of cinema, indeed.
Sincere thanks to Kate Reavey, Sean Gomez, and the PC staff for bringing THE MEMORY OF FISH home. The Peninsula Daily News covered the PC Magic of Cinema screening too. Read more about it HERE and HERE.
