Maria Brooks (right), on location with Blake McHugh, cameraman, and sailors on the Tole Mour, Catalina Island, California, 2004
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Waterfront Soundings Productions
3252 Kempton Ave.
Oakland, CA 94611
Maria Brooks currently lives in Oakland, California, not far from the docks. This one-time high school teacher has produced, written and directed historical documentaries appearing on PBS stations around the country. Her programs often focus on maritime themes. These documentaries capture characters in conflict, responding to events beyond their control. The filmmaker is particulary drawn to true life stories unknown to most tv audiences. Her films depict individuals driven by inner turmoil to face challenges – but they don’t always succeed. She has given her audiences a myriad of tales from one of a haunted black sea captain in the Arctic posing as white - to stories of bedraggled sailors on a doomed convoy on the Murmansk Run in WWII. There’s even a tale of an old Eskimo woman fighting to save her reindeer herd from marauding interlopers.
“The Odyssey of Captain Healy”
"….The events that turned Micheal Healy from hero to villain are brilliantly conveyed… A prime example of how fascinating history can be when told well…"
“Pilebutts”
"…If you ask me, Pilebutts, Working Under the Hammer, deserves an Oscar…it is highly entertaining, not to mention deeply touching and brutally honest…"
“The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships”
"...In her latest documentary, producer- writer- director, Maria Brooks has raised the art of documenting workers in wartime to a new level…. The story is told with great emotional impact…"