TarponI'm down in florida.
and we watched this film.
Tarpon (1972) was directed by
Christian Odasso and Guy de la Valdene.
only 53 min.
the film quietly
if not, disjointedly
documents the beauty
of catch and release fishing
Tarpon is incredible.
It was edited in Paris and then
lost in a barn in Normandy for 35 years.
The director's daughter discovered the film
and had it restored and released.
When watching the film
you can see why hunter s. thompson
and hemingway retreated to The Keys.
Back in the day, the tip off florida was a
counter culture haven of cut off jeans, pet
iguanas and "zen" flat lands fishing.
the film is rough,
raw and imperfect.
there's no story line
and no cohesive dialogue
but Tarpon has this subtle power
that stays with you long after.
Writers, Richard Brautigan and Jim Harrison
make appearances in tie dye on hammocks,
sharing relevatory fly fishing stories.
and at one point Brautigan says:
"to understand belonging one
has to give it up....release it"