I’ve been working a lot of different projects this last month. One of which was getting my family’s Super 8 film reels converted to digital files. I just got them back and they are so amazing. Some of my favorites are from when my parents lived in Alaska. They taught school in a small isolated Eskimo village called Hooper Bay. These clips show my dad out fishing with the Eskimos. {If you don’t like seeing fish guts you might want to skip them.} I think they are so beautiful and sort of sad. Watch them here and here.
Jonah
July 10, 2008
Hi Jordan, I read your blog all the time and just love it – this recent post brought back memories for me too – my parents were also teachers in a little town in AK called Kotzebue – I have so many fond memories of ice fishing, riding the snowmobiles, and meeting so many nice people. It’s good your family took video – I have lots and lots of pictures which will always be a treasure! Such a long way from San Mateo and the life I live now ;). Thanks for sharing.
Haselwand
July 10, 2008
My grandmother had a bunch of Super 8s I would love to have put on dvd. Are you using a local SF place or did you send it away? Was it super expensive? I’m so interested! These are so cool
Mom in Mendon
July 10, 2008
Wow. A LOT of history, circa 1971. In Reel 2 at “Fish Camp” the woman working with an ulu–an Eskimo knife–is slitting the salmon to dry it on pole racks or in small smoke houses. Everyone works because this is what they’ll eat for the winter.
Reel 4 shows Jake trying to slide in the snow like the other boys. At the end of the reel you can see a handmade sledge, the kind they used to use with dogs. They say the minute snowmobiles arrived, dog sleds became passe.
The two little toddlers are Rachel and Sara.
heather
July 10, 2008
what beautiful films! Thanks for sharing them!
Jessica
July 11, 2008
I just wanted to say I’m jealous of your project-completing abilities. I think up things like this all the time, but seldom make room in my schedule to actually accomplish them. Hopefully you’ll inspire me to actually do it someday.
megan
July 11, 2008
Hi Jordan, I don’t know if you read all your comments, but I just wanted to tell you that I think you should put music to these. They could become a sort of short documentary. My husband makes films and is amazing at matching music to movies (I’m being 100% unbiased) If you wanted to take a chance I would love to see what kind of music he could put to these. Just for fun…He’s just about finished his film degree and I’m sure he’d love the chance. They are beautiful shots.
Stephanie
July 12, 2008
I love that your parents taught school in an Eskimo village…and with three kids to boot it looks like from the picture.
Mom in Mendon
July 15, 2008
Paul Nukusuk of Hooper Bay, AK, is steering his boat, both in the fishing film and in the seal hunt. He was married to MaryAnn and their oldest son was Benjamin.