High Tide in Dorchester
Film by Tom Horton, Sandy Cannon-Brown and Dave Harp details the effects of rising tides on Dorchester, MD
“High Tide in Dorchester,” the new documentary from Tom Horton, Sandy Cannon-Brown and Dave Harp chronicles the effects of climate change and rising sea levels on Dorchester County, MD. Dorchester is currently the fourth largest county in MD but by the end of the century it is on track to be the 14th largest. Dorchester is literally being swallowed by the sea.
The film gives viewers a hyperlocal view of sea level rise and its impact on people’s lives. “This is not a theory, it’s what is actually happening there,” says David Harp. David has published five books of photography on the Bay with essays by Tom Horton, one of his collaborators on the film and an environmental reporter for the Baltimore Sun for 35 years. Sandy Cannon-Brown is an award-winning environmental filmmaker whose work has taken her to Central and South America, West Africa, the Northern Great Plains, and the Everglades.
The team chose Henninger for color correction, audio sweetening and mix. “We were proud of the quality of our film before post finishing, but now we are amazed by it. Henninger’s slogan should be “We make good great” because they do, every single time,” said Cannon-Brown.
The filmmakers hope that the documentary will help persuade deniers that climate change is a real threat to communities and people’s livelihoods. The team plans to use the film for advocacy and to help increase awareness through screenings throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed over the coming year.
The documentary will premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, DC on March 21st and will be airing on Maryland Public Television in April.