A FOOTSCRAY filmmaker is hoping her latest documentary will attract participants hook, line and sinker.
Amie Batalibasi is producing a documentary called Fishing for Culture, exploring the common threads of different cultures joined by a love of fishing.
The 31-year-old says she was drawn to the project as a way of helping people from migrant backgrounds share their stories and passions.
“The documentaries I work on are not just films, they’re people’s stories,” she says.
“It’s a great way to share the stories of the kinds of people you might walk past every day.”
As she sets about making the documentary, Batalibasi has been able to share a fishing story or two of her own.
She grew up learning how to fish with her father, who moved to Australia from the Solomon Islands.
“We are a saltwater people and we fish for survival. We don’t have to do that here, but it’s something I feel is part of my culture.”
Speaking with avid fishing fans, Batalibasi says a few early threads are emerging including a sense of personal connection with nature.
“Everyone mentions that it doesn’t matter whether or not they catch anything. It is about the process of fishing and it’s a time of reflection. People are very passionate about it.”
Batalibasi is looking for up to eight people from different cultures to share their stories, including how their migration experience changed their fishing habits, what fishing was like for them before migrating and why fishing is important to them.
To participate, email fishingforculture@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/FishingForCulture
