January 31st, 2024 - 4:00 pm
IN THE WHALE With a Post-Panel Zoom discussion with Director David Abel
In The Whale is an award-winning feature-length documentary film about arguably the greatest fish story ever told, though this one is true. It’s the account of Michael Packard, a Cape Cod fisherman, who survived to tell the tale of being swallowed by a whale, and what happened after he escaped.
As the region’s last-remaining commercial lobster diver, the 57-year-old father has had his share of harrowing experiences, which include close encounters with great whites, nearly drowning, and having to pull up the body of a fellow diver. He even survived a plane crash in the jungles of Costa Rica, where he ran a charter fishing business. But what happened to him on a routine dive during a clear June morning was something he never imagined possible, and many around the world refused to believe.
The publicity was similarly dizzying for the reclusive fisherman, whose survival story spread around the world in news dispatches. But what came after the limelight dimmed was even more significant for Packard. [2023, US, 81 min, Rated: NR]
Film Director David Abel will lead a post-panel discussion via Zoom for attendees. Screening times are 4 pm on Wed (Jan 31) and 2 pm on Sat (Feb 3). Admission is $9 for members, $11.50 for general audiences and $5 for students (student tickets available only at the theater box office). Purchase advance tickets online at rehobothfilm.com or at the Cinema Art Theater box office in Lewes, Wednesday-Sunday from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM.
