Ebb and Flow – An immigrant family, an oyster, and how they rescued the Pacific Coast shellfish industry

EBB AND FLOW - Periodically "On Demand" watch for it or get on our email list.

An Immigrant family, an oyster, and how they rescued the Pacific coast shellfish Industry.

Today this immigrant oyster is considered the premier oyster by top chefs, makes up the largest shellfish industry in the US, grown from Alaska to Baja, and helping in recovery efforts of the only native oyster to the west coast. Indeed, had the Yamashita family not come to America, the thriving Pacific Northwest shellfish industry might look very different today.

This story is an inspiring one and, at the same time, a cautionary tale about how a society can turn against its immigrants in challenging times - as relevant today as ever.

If you want to find out about the next showing please follow us on https://www.facebook.com/LeapingFrogFilms/ facebook and watch for updates on future event!

Reviews

“Ebb and Flow”... is the finest documentary on the story of a Japanese-American family I have seen to date.

—David Yamaguchi, North American Post Newspaper, Seattle

An ironic truth of being a journalist is that the richer a real-life story is, the harder it is to tell properly, which makes documentarians Shelly Solomon and Kent Cornwell’s film “Ebb and Flow” all the more impressive. This is a film necessarily juggling a number of subjects and moods, but Solomon and Cornwell bring their decade of experience in documentaries to bear, creating a holistic piece out of potentially disparate elements.

- Kirk Boxleitner - Reporter - PT Leader Newspaper

What an amazing story! It was done with such honesty, sensitivity, and heart! I urge everyone to see this important film.

- Rosie Zwanziger - Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Elder

“Ebb and Flow is a heartfelt portrait of an extraordinary man, a pioneering oyster farmer and a devoted parent. It’s a multi-generational tale that pays tribute to the toilers of the intertidal— whose efforts benefit everyone who loves shellfish or values clean water and the well-being of Puget Sound.”

- David George Gordon, Author, Heaven on the Half Shell

'Ebb and Flow' is a uniquely personal history of the Yamashita family, Puget Sound, and the vital influence individuals can have on the ecosystem and economy of a region over the course of a century. By capturing the story of the Elder Yamashita relating to his son the family history of shell fish farming, the family history in the Japanese-American experience in Washington State, and his own deep love for the pacific oyster, “Ebb and Flow” presents its audience with the ability to join that experience with emotion and candor. Having grown up in the areas of the Sound from which this documentary is grown, I find my own history and culture richer for the experience of having viewed this film." -

Assistant attorney to governor Jay Inslee, Tom Graham