“…to show what the purpose of all this is to me”
Documentaries are always hit or miss. Even if you are extremely interested in the subject matter, you might not enjoy it by the end. Something, however, always captures you from the start and makes you even put the effort into watching them. Pete Muller’s Bucks Harbor premiered in the 76th Berlinale’s Panorama Documentary program. It peerhaps looked more interesting than it sounded, at first glance. Yet after the viewing, it became entirely clear that the people of this village in Down East Maine are entirely too complicated to understand.
Along a narrow stretch of rugged coastline between forest and sea live a small community of fishermen. Passed down from generation to generation, the boys of this town are shaped by intense winters, the requirement to harvest the ocean’s fish, and the requirements set upon them by their fathers. Through a semi-sticky documentary, Bucks Harbor explores the mentality of these fisherman. A lens into the emotional complexity of growing up under such strong ideals of how men are worth the strength of their back.
There are perhaps two moments easy to connect to in Bucks Harbor. There is a man in this town who never got the chance to be himself. Where we are privy to exploring these citizens in the documentary, he is now of the age where he is no longer afraid to be who he is, but not in person, only online. He takes to the internet to become a drag queen and express himself. Two young boys grow up with a father who wants them to be more than what he was let to be. Although a documentary, these two “stories” are what allow the audience to connect with the subject matter. However, there is still little room for emotional attachment.
For the rest of the film there is no coherent storyline. To say it is a documentary is difficult to understand when the entire 98-minute runtime feels overly scripted. Jumping from different citizens, there is no consistent order of who’s story we should be focused on. To say that it is scripted, these men feel like aliens. The way they speak is almost as lost as the order of Bucks Harbor itself. As a member of the audience you cannot help but be confused as to why you are being shown what you are.
While yes we are learning about the toxicity of masculinity, in an enhanced form in this Maine village. Yet, would it not have been more efficient to properly share our subject matter? All the elements of a thoughtful documentary are there. Somehow, however, Bucks Harbor can bring us back to that idea previously discussed, not every subject interests its viewer. A compelling idea to look into the minds of a population that have been practically controlled through the generations to teach boys who to be. However, it is sadly lost upon its presentation.
Toxic traits are found in many isolated populations. The idea of exploring that in this small community in Down East Maine is where the allure of Bucks Harbor lies. There is nothing worse for a young boy than to be forced to grow up how generations have been told. In what could have been an interesting study and showcase, less than understandable footage was shown.
While Bucks Harbor premiered at the 76th Berlin Film Festival on Saturday February 14, 2026, one cannot say whether this documentary was made for a specific audience. As an American town with strong male-oriented ideals, you definitely cannot help but feel sorry for the boys growing up in this situation.