Director, producer, and editor Adam Huston of Groton has finished his film The Dirge to the Sea. The film creates a story around the haunted myths that surround the New London Ledge Lighthouse.
It was last year that Huston began the film as a project for his senior thesis at the University of Long Island’s C.W. Post Campus in New York.During production last year, Huston explained that the film is based on the myth of Ernie, the lighthouse keeper, and why he ended his own life.
“The legend itself is so scarce,” Huston said. Over the course of his research, he didn’t come up with much solid proof or records about Ernie. “When I was writing this film, I really had to try and create a lot of stuff that happened,” Huston said. “It was really interesting trying to come up with all these characters and their different motives…No one really did a story about it, and no one has really thought to make a movie into it,” Huston said.
The film will premiere April 3 at the Olde Mistick Village Cinemas, one showing at 7 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m. Huston said questions and answers will follow both shows and he’s working on getting the cast to do a meet and greet prior to the premiere. He wanted to thank his cast and crew for their hard work during filming and really putting their hearts into the project.
“I also want to thank my friends and family for the constant support over the years when I decided to take this difficult path as a filmmaker,” he added. “Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today and I also want to thank Sean McKenna, who instituted a film study class at Fitch High School, which helped me realize my film passion.”
Huston is very optimistic and hoping for a full house for both shows. He hopes people enjoy the film and appreciate what his crew has done. And while he doesn’t expect to win an Oscar, he hopes to gain the approval of the community.
“I am really excited about revealing the film to residents,” Huston said recently in an e-mail. “It’s a chance to bring the legend to life and add new depth to the lighthouse. It’s actually kind of odd because parts of the film that I wrote I didn’t find as part of the legend until people revealed it to me during filming. So part of me feels that maybe Ernest and his wife, if they do exist, are happy that I’m doing this.”
Tickets will be sold for $5 and the proceeds will benefit the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation. To get tickets, e-mail a_dirge_to_the_sea@yahoo.com or call 860-287-3684.