Been Here Stay Here - Director David Usui

On a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, a deeply rooted Christian fishing community grapples with the quiet erosion of their land and their traditions. Their centuries-old way of life, sustained by faith and the rhythms of the bay, is now at a poignant crossroads—one that may force them from the only home they’ve ever known. BEEN HERE STAY HERE offers rare, unfiltered access to a place where climate and faith intersect, in a way that feels both unexpected and essential. It’s a canary in the coal mine story- an early glimpse of what thousands of coastal communities may soon face, yet it avoids political rhetoric offering something more grounded and human. This documentary is both a portrait of a disappearing island and a clear-eyed look at how belief, identity, and home are tested when the future arrives faster than expected.

About the filmmaker - David Usui has spent over 15 years crafting character-driven documentaries as a director and cinematographer. His work, which has been featured in The New York Times, PBS, ITVS, The Atlantic, and VICE, reflects a commitment to storytelling that is both intimate and expansive. Usui's collaboration with the legendary Albert Maysles on In Transit- a film that captures the stories of travelers along Amtrak’s “Empire Builder” route- premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Best Feature Documentary. In 2009, he co-founded Lost & Found Films, a production company that crafts visually rich and emotionally grounded nonfiction films. He studied philosophy and human ecology at Western Washington University and later taught documentary filmmaking as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.