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A Montauker's Spirit On Film

No one can argue that Montuak isn't a unique corner of the world. If Long Island were an outstretched arm, then Montauk is the tip of a finger dipping into the Atlantic Ocean. Napeague separates it geographically from the Hamptons, of course, and somewhere along that 11-mile stretch there is something in the air that filters out the pretentiousness that can be so abundant in the chic Hamptons. There is no room for that in Montauk, and with that grasp of reality the local people have a sense of pride, independence, and flat out toughness. Indeed, they are as unique as the place they call home: a cast of characters, if you will, living their lives in a most perfect setting.

Filmed in Montauk

Perhaps that is what caught the attention of a group of young filmmakers from New York City. The movie is appropriately called, "Fishing," and it's being filmed almost exclusively in Montauk. Although the fishing town in the movie will have a fictitious name, the setting and characters are inspired and based on the actual hamlet. Joseph Lutton is the writer, director, and star of the film. He chose Montauk because it was a favorite place that he had often visited as a boy. "Montauk has fed me over the years,"he explained. "It is a very poetic place." Mr. Lutton found inspiration not only in the aesthetic beauty of Montauk, he said, but in the spirit of the locals.

About People

Despite the title, the movie is not about fishing, it's about people, and, according to Mr. Lutton, "fishing is the metaphor." What the characters are fishing for is left entirely up to the viewer. "It's the story of an estranged relationship between a father and son," explained Mr. Lutton. "The father was a commercial fisherman, a bit hardened by his profession. That veil is lifted during the course of the film through the interaction with his son." In addition to that, the son, "Steve," played by Mr. Lutton, finds himself caught in a strange love triangle when he returns home to find his ex-girlfriend has married his best friend. (So far, it sounds a lot like Montauk.)

At The Memory

Passerby may have noticed the crew shooting at the well-known Memory Motel on Main Street all last week. The establishment, which was immortalized in a song by The Rolling Stones, is a favorite with independent filmmakers. The bar was closed to the public during filming, but on the set it looked like business as usual at the Memory. Apparently the old saying, "you don't fix what's not broken" holds true in the movie world too. Aside from a few extra lights and some tar paper over the windows, nothing else was done to the bar to transform it into a movie set. When it hits the screen, viewers will see the same bar that Mick Jagger liked so much. They can look for "Fishing" at film festivals such as Robert Redford's Sundance and at the Cannes and Hamptons International Film Festivals. Mr. Lutton explained that, because it is an independent film, it's creators were now looking for distributors, but said, "There are a lot of interested people."

Production Stills

Production Shots