Grant Saunders worked with a team to create Teach a Man To Fish, which is nominated for the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary.

He will also be involved in a Q and A session after the screening.

“I’m a bit nervous and excited but mostly excited. I can’t wait to experience it with an audience,” he said.

“It’s about me coming back home after being away for over half my life and using fishing as a way to reconnect with my father, my family, my country and my town.”

For Grant, the idea for the film started about 16 years ago when he needed to write a treatment for a documentary as part of an issues and documentary class at the University of Technology in Sydney.

“Back then it was a lot different. It dealt with the politics of commercial fishing. At the time the closure (to fishing) happened on the Manning River and other restrictions for commercial fishermen. 

“The story was how it affected the family and my father who was making a livelihood off fishing.

“It’s still about that but it’s more of a personal story.”

While Grant had grown up wanting to be a commercial fisherman like his dad, his parents encouraged him to find something else.

“Most parents want better for their kids.”

But a few years ago, when his uncle who had been working as Ray’s main partner for more than 30 years decided to take a break, Grant saw a chance. 

“I needed a break from teaching in Newcastle at TAFE and it just seemed really good timing. I took the opportunity to convince dad to take me out and he did.

“That was in 2015 and that’s when we really started shooting, so it took about three years.”

He worked with respected documentary producer Tom Zubrycki, cameraman and VOP James Marshall and editor Rowena Crow (who he has known since film school). “The team has been working on it for three years but it has been a labour of love for 16 years.”

Grant was the screenwriter and director. The film also had support from Screen Australia, Screen NSW and NITV.

“It’s a personal story of me coming back and re-tracing my childhood, going through Cundletown Public School and Chatham High School, my family and how my grandfather got me into fishing, my family being removed from Purfleet and forced to assimilate into Tinonee and how dad met mum.”

It even includes an interview he did with his grandfather in 2007, before he passed away.

“I uncover old memories intertwined with a fishing story. It’s how I learned the fishing business and in the process all the other things that are under the surface.

“It’s great to be on the river and in nature with the other fishermen on the river. They’re fun to be around, joking around and fishing yarns about the good old days. It’s hard work, it’s physical.”

And while he knows he won’t do it forever (film making is his passion), he enjoys the fact he is able to work with his dad part-time.

“It keeps him going, he’s got another five years before he fully retires and he just gets mopey when he’s not out on the water.”

Grant said the commercial fishing share market style system the NSW government introduced last year has made it very difficult for small fishing families. 

“It really only benefits larger, wealthy fishermen who can afford to buy shares in crabbing or prawning. It’s so difficult for people like my father to make a living.”

The film is subjective, Grant saying he didn’t go to fishing representatives or the Department of Primary Industries for comment because “it’s not that kind of film. You’re hearing the voices of people you really haven’t heard before.”

At the end of 2016, Grant and Ray were invited to NSW parliament to speak on behalf of other commercial fishermen. 

“We had our say about the share market system but the writing was on the wall. It was going to happen and nothing we said would change it.”

He said it’s too hard for young fishermen to start up or be the next generation of fishermen in their family.

“It’s too expensive and restrictive. The future will be a super fleet of mega trawlers that are like factories. It’s a sad state of affairs.

“I guess the film, while not really focused on that and the detail, it’s about how hard it is for fishermen and for me to think a lot about learning the business when it’s so difficult.”

The film covers universal themes including the story of father and son and small business going up against big business, as well as the spectrum of emotions.

“I’m proud of everyone involved. All my family. It’s really like a love letter to them and my community.”

Teach a Man to Fish will be screened at the Event Cinema 9 in George Street, Sydney at 4.45pm this Sunday. Tickets: https://www.sff.org.au/tickets/

Grant hopes to see the film screened in Taree. “I can’t say when but I want to share it. It’s all about Taree. There’s beautiful shots of our Manning River and the coast, and stuff I’ve shot over the years.”

NITV will screen Teach a Man to Fish later this year.