L’Industrie du hareng a Boulogne-sur- Mer is one of the finest silent films about the sea within the collections of the Cinématheque française. And yet one sees neither the horizon, nor the swaying of ships, nor the adventurous sailors. Generally, filmmakers enjoy shooting the three masts sailing out of the harbour, positioning their cameras at the bow of the boats to capture the expanse of sea and observe the busy fishermen on the deck. By contrast, this piece, shot by an unknown director, turns its gaze to what remains behind at the port, including the thankless workers, the majority of them women, who receive the incoming fish for salting and curing in order to organise their subsequent storage and dispatch. The camera is placed among them, closely following their precise repetitive movements, and their hands, presumably fatigued and worn due to the icy water, coarse salt and fish scales. The herrings of Louis Bouclet would make a fortune for the shipowner and bring fame to the port of Boulogne-sur- Mer as France’s leading fishing port. These women workers are certainly the unsung heroines of its renown.

Hervé Pichard