FIRE ON THE WATER
Press packet for the documentary film Fire on the Water (1982), one of the earliest films to look at the crisis unfolding along the Texas Gulf Coast between native Texas fishermen and Vietnamese refugees who moved in on their shrimp fishing grounds. In 1981, the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a suit on behalf of the fisherman against the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan who were fearful of competition from the incoming Vietnamese refugees and practiced guerrilla tactics to burn Vietnamese-owned boats and terrorize the Vietnamese American community.
The film was commended in the press for its fair depiction of the issues and emotions on both sides of the conflict. One of the information sheets placed the crisis in a more global context. “Traditionally, we have been a land of immigrants. Succeeding waves of immigrants from Europe and Asia have sought refuge on our shores and have helped create the prosperity that we now enjoy. Today, however, there is growing public opposition to this long-standing American tradition. And it far transcends the events taking place in Galveston Bay.”
The packet contains seven pages of promotional materials along with a 6" x 7 ½” black-and-white postcard advertising an upcoming film festival screening for the film by Robert Hillman (1947–2003).
Among the materials is an 11” x 14” black-and-white flyer about screenings of the film in Santa Monica and Hollywood and offering it for Academy consideration. It was not nominated; however, the film was a past grand prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival.
Since Fire on the Water was released, several more documentary films and a book were released documenting the conflicts. In 1995, Bruce Springsteen’s song Galveston Bay brought the issue to an even wider audience.
An important packet of material providing a compelling reminder of the ongoing struggles of immigrant communities in the United States. Item #79259
Price: $250.00