Film Series Kicks Off With Local Director’s Documentary

BERLIN — A series of wildlife and conservation focused films are coming to Worcester County this winter, and a free showing of the award-winning 2006 film “Sharks: Stewards of the Reef” will launch the event.

Director Holiday Johnson met last week with The Dispatch to discuss her movie, the upcoming film screenings and the role of documentaries as a tool for conservation.

With the tagline “the hunters are now the hunted,” the movie examines the practice of “shark fining,” the removal of fins from an often live shark. According to Johnson, the practice has sparked a rapid decline among many shark species in certain areas. Fins are often the main ingredient in a soup that is popular overseas.
More