A documentary exploring the history of Boblo Island amusement park and its ferries will have its theatrical release in September, with a two-week exclusive stint in select Detroit theatres beginning Sept. 16, the film’s producers announced Monday.
“Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale,” which was screened at the 2021 Freep Film Festival and awarded the Hometown Talent Award, is narrated from the perspective of the steamboat SS Columbia, voiced by Motown star Martha Reeves, as it follows preservationists’ efforts to save her sister ship Ste. Claire from the scrapyard.
The two steamships transported generations of Detroiters to Boblo Island, one of America’s earliest amusement parks, before it shut down in 1993.
The film also tells the story of civil rights pioneer Sarah E. Ray, who forced the integration of Boblo Island in 1945.
The tale of Sugar Island, a former amusement park directly neighboring Boblo Island that was purchased by African Americans in response to Boblo’s segregationist policies, is also told in the film.
Archival footage digitized by the Detroit Historical Society is also featured in the film.
An extended film run is planned at The Mariner theater in St. Clair County’s Marine City, where it will be accompanied by a special Boblo museum exhibit through September.
Following the premiere screenings, there will be Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and the Boblo Boat restoration teams.
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