The Pearl Fisher 1985

Overview

This film documents Barnett Bass as he fishes for fresh-water mollusks in the White River in southern Indiana, seeking gem-quality pearls and the mother-of-pearl lining of the shells. The film depicts the local jewelers, a pearl dealer, and a shell exporter. The Pearl Fisher explores issues of technological innovation, international trade, and resulting stresses on the environment. It suggests the traditional symbolic meanings of pearls: immortality, purity, virtue, and trust, as well as the rol