'Graveyard of the Great Lakes' / 'Fire Photo -> 1' at the Detroit Historical Museum

Shown as part of the 2016 Freep Film Festival! 

$10 general admission.

Seats are non-reserved. Please arrive 15-30 minutes before showtime.

Tickets are available at https://tickets.freep.com/e/fire-water-double-feature/tickets or by calling 313.223.4530.

A deep dive into Great Lakes shipwrecks and an up-close look at a photographer who has been following the Detroit Fire Department for more than 50 years will screen together during Freep Film Festival weekend. The Fire + Water double feature will include two films, both produced by the Detroit Free Press’ Emmy-winning video team.

"Fire Photo -> 1"“Fire Photo -> 1” tells the story of unassuming, affable Bill Eisner, who has amassed a visual history of the Detroit Fire Department that’s been described as a priceless museum. His archive is gargantuan: hundreds of thousands of photographs, Super 8mm film reels, boxes of videotapes and audio cassette recordings that include dispatch traffic from the ’67 riots. While many of his photos have been published over the years, they represent a minuscule fraction of what he’s shot. As a matter of fact, even Eisner has photographs that he’s never seen, tossed into a box after being developed as he raced to another fire.

His remarkable archive tells the story of firefighters at work in a city that has burned more than any other in America. And it tells the story of Eisner, whose single-minded pursuit has made him as deeply engrained in the Detroit Fire Department as any firefighter. Filmmaker Brian Kaufman (“Packard: The Last Shift”) says he’s come to realize that Eisner’s work “goes way beyond fire. It’s about the people — both firefighters and civilians — who have battled smoke and flame for so many years."

"Graveyard of the Great Lakes" “Graveyard of the Great Lakes: A Shipwreck Hunter’s Quest to Discover the Past” profiles David Trotter, who has discovered nearly 100 shipwrecks in his 35 years of exploring the Great Lakes. Filmmaker Eric Seals spent nearly two years documenting the story of the 74-year-old Trotter, Michigan’s maritime history and people’s fascination with shipwrecks. Each discovery brings tales of lost souls, heroes and survivors.

This includes an underwater visit deep in the middle of Lake Huron to explore the wreck of the Keystone State, which was swallowed up by Lake Huron in 1861, claiming the lives of all 33 on board. Its final resting place was a mystery until now. Viewers will also meet Dennis Hale, the lone survivor of the Daniel J. Morrell, one of the last shipwrecks of the modern era.