Film Screening | Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale

When

Wednesday December 6, 2023: 4:00pm to 6:00pm  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Description

When Ste. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships – the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. SS Columbia has been whisked away to New York while Claire's fate rests in the hands of an unlikely band of heroes: a doctor, a psychic, and an amusement park fanatic.

Martha Reeves, the Motown legend with a lilting voice, narrates this revelatory fable-doc that’s full of heart and hard truths about a challenging restoration, the iconic amusement park’s exciting yet whitewashed history, and the intoxicating ways that nostalgia can inspire and blur memories.

This event includes a Q&A afterwards with the film's director, Aaron Schillinger.