To Galwegians our county may seem like it’s on the edge of Europe, but to the global community of elite oyster openers, it is the centre of their world.
A new documentary following the lives of a handful of competitive oyster shuckers and their journeys from around the planet to compete in the Galway International Oyster Festival has been released on multiple streaming platforms in over 40 territories so far. Available in Ireland on YouTube premium, iTunes, Apple TV and Xbox, The Oyster Shucker is set for release here on Netflix and Amazon Prime over the coming months.
First shown at the Edmonton Film Festival in Canada last year, the feature-length documentary was shot over six years, initially focusing on the lives of a disparate bunch of champion shuckers, including Galway’s own Michael Moran of the 250-year-old Moran’s Oyster Cottage seafood restaurant near Kilcolgan. Amidst atmospheric filming of Galway county and city, native oysters from Kelly’s Oyster Farm are introduced to a global audience, and even Galway Bay FM presenter Keith Finnegan makes a cameo.
It is the life story and love story of teenage shucker Honor Allen that becomes the documentary’s dramatic focus. With his home town in Florida almost completely destroyed by Category Five Hurricane Michael in 2018, and the Covid pandemic closing down hospitality and therefore oystering in 2020, his tale is one of grit and resilience.
Behind-the-scenes footage of regional and national oyster-opening competitions in the USA shine a light on a highly competitive global subculture. However it is to Galway – the “Olympics of oystering” as one Canadian competitor calls it, that shuckers aspire. The post-competition “Olympics of drinking” also gets a nod.
Directed by Chicago filmmakers Casey Lock and Ross Zuchowski, and produced by Robin Malpass, the documentary is garnering five star viewer reviews on streaming services. It also highlights the importance of shell fish for clean water and marine biodiversity, and the challenges facing contemporary aquaculture.
