Wind-driven rain soaks the Ocean Street docks in Hyannis
The fishing boat Nemesis arrives Wednesday at the Ocean Street docks in Hyannis in a driving rain pushed along by 20 knot winds from the southwest.
When Kim Roderiques approached the Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance about making a documentary on the commercial fishing industry, she knew it had to focus on the men and women who often put their lives on the line to bring seafood to our plates.
“It was the human nature, the humankind aspect of fishing, and the camaraderie,” Roderiques said, that really made the story so compelling. “It was so obvious that that was the biggest part of their story.”
As a professional photographer, telling a story visually is a big part of her job, but making the visual part live is what really excited her about documentaries.
For her fifth film, “The Hand That Holds the Line,” with director and cinematographer, Geoffrey Bassett, Roderiques and Bassett take us into the worlds of our very own fishermen and women, and the hard work they put into catching our next meal.
The filming process
Roderiques hadn’t considered what 10 hours on a boat, in the middle of November, would feel like until her first voyage.
“Geoff said to me, the cinematographer, ‘How are your sea legs?” she said. “I never thought about ‘was I up to this? Would I be nauseous?’ Because I really don’t have any fishing experience, I’ve never fished, I’ve never been on a fishing boat.”
Everything turned out for the best, and the proof is in the film. There were times of heightened stakes.
“As a photographer of course I wanted to take eight million pictures, but I really stayed out of the way as much as I could,” Roderiques said. “When they’re on, they are in a whole other, their minds, their bodies, their souls are fully engaged in what they’re doing. And you see that intensity.”
Being out of the water brought so much appreciation, Roderiques said, as she recalled a trip back from Provincetown with the father and daughter, Christopher and Caitlin Townsend, as one of many highlights throughout the year of filming. “In our wake was a fleet of dolphins, which is in the film. It’s so beautiful, that took my breath away.”
The film includes an original score by Paul Schuyler and was edited Hunter Bichao.
The common thread among fishers
“You know how everyone knows it’s the most dangerous profession in the world, but they don’t exactly know why,” Roderiques said. “It’s just hard to put into words the powerful part of the fishing community.”
The documentary is 80 minutes and includes interviews with 25 fishers, some within the same family.
“I should say, hearing the stories of multi-generational fishermen was astounding,” Roderiques said.
One story she follows includes interviews with four generations within one family, the Linnells.
The story explores the brutal time crunch of catching fish and the dangers of working on a boat and in the water, but there was one theme that perhaps stood out the most, Roderiques said.
“It was that connection, whether family or friends, that was truly the link that connected all these fishermen,” she said. “They could be 50, 60 years apart in age, but there was that common thread of sticking together, protecting each other, and sharing the commitments, dedication and passion for their craft.”
Appreciation for our fishers
“So many people, they take for granted the fish on their plate,” Roderiques said.
The film shows the physical and emotional toll fishers take on in order to get the next catch, and Roderiques said she witnessed it first-hand, the possibility of danger. “Seeing the film, you’ll see the machines, the dredges, everything relies on knots, bolts,” she said, “And people are responsible. The captain of that boat is responsible for not killing anyone.”
A sold out premiere
The documentary premiered at the Chatham Orpheum Theater on Oct. 16 with a sold-out audience. Their next two showings on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 are already sold out. It will be playing at Cape Cinema Jan. 11, 2026.
Roderiques hopes to have more screenings in the future and also submit the documentary to film festivals.
Desiree Nikfardjam is a reporter covering breaking and trending news. She graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can reach her at DNikfardjam@gannett.com.
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