THE BONACKERS Documentary
Produced & Directed by
Joanne Friedland Roberts
The Bonackers is the story of the fiercely independent men and women who’ve fished and farmed the land and seas of the east end of Long Island for almost 400 years. Struggling to survive in the midst of the mansion filled Hamptons, they may well be the last of their kind.
Holding onto their traditions in spite of ever-increasing obstacles, the Bonackers wisdom, challenges and family sagas will unfold as we head out onto their boats and bays, and into their pick-up trucks, homes, and gatherings. Historic footage from Local TV East Hampton’s “hidden archive,” and photographs from Adelaide de Menil’s “Men’s Lives Project” will be layered throughout, along with the songs of the sea.
Can the Bonackers endure the escalating hardships they experience year after year? We’ll find out in our 60-minute documentary, currently in production.
The Bonackers survival story, and a series of community conversations, will inspire us to think more deeply about what we all stand to lose, if centuries old cultures like this one disappear, and all that’s left is housed in museums.
photos © Adelaide de Menil • Rock Foundation
Concept Trailer
This 9-minute concept trailer for The Bonackers is a visual storyboard, a quick overview of where we’re heading. It’s a work in progress, without color correction or sound mixing, shot with an iPhone and layered with historic footage and photographs. We’re sharing it because we’re passionate about finding the right partners for producing our 60-minute documentary.
We’re starting production on new stories for our documentary this Fall and eagerly seeking funding. And we’re collaborating with a wonderful group of like-minded partners who share our commitment to supporting the Bonacker community and preserving their heritage too.
We hope you’ll want to be part of our project!
The Bonackers is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts NYFA), a 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization.
THE BONACKERS COMMUNITY GATHERING
at Clinton Academy’s
“Finest Kind” Exhibit
East Hampton, NY
In March 2024, The East Hampton Historical Society’s Educational Director Stacy Myers, invited us to host a small gathering of the local community at Clinton Academy’s “Finest Kind” exhibit. Stacy curated the show to celebrate the lives of the fishing families who’ve worked the waters of the east end of Long Island for almost 400 years, and she thought the photographs would inspire a meaningful community conversation. She was absolutely right.
The Academy’s walls were filled with photographs originally taken between 1981-1985 as part of Adelaide de Menil’s Men’s Lives Project, a venture Adelaide created to preserve the stories, traditions and history of the fiercely independent men and women struggling to make a living on the sea.
We invited an intimate group of fishermen and farming families–Lesters, Eames, Bennetts, Vorpahls, Woods, Millers, Talmadges and Collins,’ to a reception in honor of Adelaide. The room was filled with locals sharing memories, stories and hugs, pointing out images of themselves, family members and friends on the Academy’s walls. We’ve recorded many of their stories for our documentary too, and will be filming again in April.
CELEBRATING BONAC
at The East Hampton
Historical Farm Museum
East Hampton, NY
“An Afternoon of History, Traditions & Tales of Persistence,” opened with the short concept trailer for “The Bonackers” documentary, produced by Joanne Friedland Roberts. The trailer was a springboard for a lively conversation and Q&A about the history, ongoing struggles, and resilience of not only the historic Bonacker community, but of the Montaukett People and East Hampton’s Freetown. The conversation, led by the East Hampton Historical Farm Museum’s founder, Prudence Talmage Carabine, included Deanna Tikkanen, Bruce Collins, Audrey Gaines, Peter Van Scoyoc, and others.
The event took place at the Farm Museum, 131 North Main Street at the corner of Cedar Street in East Hampton.
CELEBRATING BONAC
at The Duck Creek Arts Center
East Hampton, NY
Our first event was a collaboration with the Peter Matthiessen Center that took place at the Duck Creek Arts Center on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Participants explored cultural arts passed down through the generations, discovering the Bonacker community’s unique history and lifestyle. Wisdom keepers, baymen and longtime locals shared tales, songs, stories and traditions–with displays of centuries-old crafts, decoy carving, fishing traps, wampum jewelry and beads. A traditional Native American blessing, sea shanties from the whaling days, and readings from Peter Matthiessen's 1986 classic Men’s Lives brought our diverse community together.
Joanne Friedland
Roberts
Producer/Director
I started out as an educator and I’ve been producing TV shows, videos and websites for as long as I can remember. Running my own production company and working with major media companies like CBS, NBC, ABC/Disney, Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop, I’ve won lots of awards along the way.
Over the years, I’ve created programming for institutions like PBS, the Smithsonian, the Brennan Center for Justice, and schools and museums across the country. I’ve always been drawn to content that builds community, sparks action and inspires change.
The Bonackers is my first independent documentary, and I'm passionate about introducing people to this little-known community on the east end of Long Island, sharing their salt of the sea sagas, wisdom, culture, and traditions. I’ll be generating awareness about their struggles with community-based conversations too. The Bonackers centuries-old survival story is in danger of coming to an end, and their stories have to be told while these fiercely independent men and women are still around to tell them.
I hope you’ll join me on this venture!