America's Inland Coast: Portraits From The Great Lakes

America's Great Lakes account for 90% of the U.S. freshwater surface, border eight states and two Canadian provinces, and rack up some 10,000 miles of shoreline. We're talking some pretty impressive bodies of water here. But in this video, the filmmakers have chosen to convey the nature of the lakes through the stories of four men who make their living from it. Alan LaFond is a third generation commercial fisherman, who has seen lake trout fishing (once 75% of the total fishing industry) collapse, and a fleet of fishing boats in his area reduced to just two. Clem Morrison is a tugboat captain, who has also seen a steady attrition in business, with the decline of the steel and wheat industries. Mark Johnson is a young entrepreneur who chose the Great Lakes area to produce Chardonnay and Riesling wines. (During the fermentation process, Mark plays classical music in his cellars, since the wine responds better to classical music than to rock.) And the 75-year-old Geoff Pope, an amazingly spry and limber skipper, takes tourists on explorations of the inland coast in his boat, the Sheila Yates. Not a scientific or geographical exploration of the Great Lakes, this is a personal look at lives that are bound to the water. Beautifully photographed by Richard Olsenius, with lulling background music by Windham Hill artist Tim Story, this is recommended for larger collections. (Available from: Bluestem Productions, 2327 Lafayette Road,- Wayzata, MN 55391.)