DELTA BELL (2021)
In the wake of the Great Flood of 1927, an amateur diver embarks on an underwater search for his family’s sunken farmhouse. Trudging across the riverbed in a hand-welded suit, the diver sees a land once bountiful, now destroyed, in a desperate attempt to salvage what remains. Told during one of the most devastating natural disasters of the 20th century, Delta Bell is a haunting story about family, loss, and resurrection.
REFERENCE MATERIAL
PROSPECTUS
Synopsis, Filmmaker and crew biographies, select filmography,
budget, perks and incentives, contact information, etc.
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Amateur shallow water diving helmets and accessories, early underwater photography, thematic imagery, etc.
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STATUS
Development
AMATEUR SHALLOW WATER DIVING HELMETS
During the height of the Great Depression, people across the United States began fabricating their own shallow water diving gear in hopes of salvaging anything of value from nearby rivers, lakes, and ponds. Popular science magazines started printing how-to instructions to build the helmets using available household materials such as water heaters, milk jugs, mailboxes, gas tanks, and oil drums.
THE SUNKEN TOWN OF MOUNTAIN MILLS
Below the Harriman Reservoir, Vermont’s largest body of water, lies the sunken town of Mountain Mills. In 1912, the logging station and settlement had a railroad station, general store, post office, and six-bed hospital. By 1923, a major hydroelectric project forced residents to flee, even as the flood waters began to lap at their doorsteps. Reference: What Lies Beneath the Lost Town of Mountain Mills by E. Stanway.
Vermont’s GREAT FLOOD OF 1927
Vermont’s Great Flood of November 3, 1927 was as one of the greatest natural disasters in state history. The flood caused massive devastation, claiming 84 lives, 1704 head of cattle, 1,285 bridges, countless homes, and hundreds of miles of roads and railways. Reference: Remembering the Terror and Losses of 1927 Flood by M. Bushnell
ONE SHEETS
Images of shallow water diving helmets provided by Nation’s Attic.
Images of Vermont’s Great Flood of 1927 provided by University of Vermont, Special Collections.
Images of Mountain Mills provided by Brian A. Donelson from ‘The Coming of the Train: Volume 1 and Volume 2’