Film director to screen coastal development film at ECU

Ben Kalina

Film director Ben Kalina will discuss his documentary on coastal development at a film screening of “Shored Up,” at 7 p.m. April 22 in Wright Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

“Shored Up” explores the controversial ongoing development of coastal regions in North Carolina and New Jersey despite coastal storms with the power to devastate those communities.

Corbett

“When Superstorm Sandy devastated the East Coast, it was a wake up call to a new reality,” said Dr. D. Reide Corbett, ECU professor of geological sciences and senior scientist with the ECU Institute for Coastal Science and Policy. “‘Shored Up’ takes us to the heart of this coastal controversy, following communities in New Jersey and North Carolina where politics, economics and science collide.”

The documentary was filmed over the course of three years in Long Beach Island, N.J. and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Coverage culminated with Hurricane Sandy. The film explores political conflicts and personal stakes of communities along the shore. Information is gathered from scientists, politicians, residents and others to expose major hurdles in coastal management and argue for an immediate change.

Film director Kalina wrote in his film’s synopsis, “‘Shored Up’ is a look at what happens when we ignore the realities of geology in our drive to inhabit and profit from our coastlines. As the oceans rise and storms flood our towns and cities, we have a choice to make: do we continue to develop as we have in the past, ignoring clear risks and danger? Or, do we allow science to guide our policies for the future…before it’s too late?”

In addition to “Shored Up,” Kalina has produced two award-winning documentaries, “Two Square Miles” and “A Sea Change,” both of which have been nationally broadcast in the U.S. He has won several international awards for his short narrative film, “Diorama.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Departments of Biology, Geography, Planning and Environment and Geological Sciences; the ECU Chapter of The Coastal Society; ECU’s Center for Sustainability; the ECU Division of Research and Graduate Studies; and the ECU Institute for Coastal Science and Policy.

For additional information, contact Corbett at 252-328-1367 or corbettd@ecu.edu.

Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the events.

 — Lacey Gray