Through the lens of filmmakers Kim Roderiques and Geoff Bassett, a new documentary captures the resilience, heritage and humanity of Cape Cod’s fishing and shellfishing communities.

For many Cape Codders, the fishing industry is woven into the fabric of daily life. Fishing boats depart harbors before dawn. Oyster farms dot protected bays. Fresh seafood appears on restaurant menus and dinner tables throughout the region. Yet for all its visibility, much of the industry remains hidden from public view.

That realization became the catalyst for The Hand That Holds The Line, a documentary by local filmmakers Kim Roderiques and Geoff Bassett that explores the people, traditions and evolving realities of Cape Cod’s fishing and shellfishing communities.

Even after living on Cape Cod for more than five decades, Roderiques discovered there was much she did not know about the industry that has shaped the region for centuries.

“I feel like even though I’ve lived here 50 years, I didn’t really have a grasp on the fishing industry,” she says. “If I don’t know much about it, there have to be other people who don’t know much about it, too.”

That curiosity became the foundation for the film. Roderiques approached Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance and its CEO, John Pappalardo, with a simple proposition: tell the story of the fishermen, fisherwomen, shellfishermen and oyster growers whose livelihoods depend upon the waters surrounding Cape Cod.

The result is a documentary that goes far beyond boats and gear. Over the course of a year, Roderiques and Bassett interviewed approximately two dozen people whose lives are connected to the sea, revealing an industry built on resilience, innovation and deep family ties.