synopsis
Looking For My Anchor follows filmmaker Erica Jordan’s quest for mooring as she turns the lens on herself, grappling with grief from the loss of her mother, home, a long-term relationship, and her son’s departure for college. The story unfolds aboard her small boat in a low-income community of artists and maritime workers on the fringes of an affluent California county. Scenes from video journals and home movies flashback to raw and unfiltered experiences of Erica’s life as a single mother. Woven into Erica’s narrative are the stories of three people who face their own challenges while anchored out on the San Francisco Bay: Henry, a seasoned and philosophical self-described 'anchor outlaw,'; Kim, a young advocate battling municipal efforts to banish anchored-out vessels; and Diane, a once-vibrant artist who died alone on her boat. These stories intricately intertwine to explore the pain of loss and the search for a lasting home amidst the serenity and tumult of life on the water’s edge.
The Film's Journey
Looking For My Anchor began as a documentary about those living on the water, a world on the margins that intrigued me as a filmmaker. But when I received footage of Diane Karasik—an artist who lived and died aboard her boat - the film took on a deeper meaning. Her story began in Galilee Harbor, the very place I now call home. As I immersed myself in her life, I began to see my own reflected in it. What started as an outward exploration became a personal reckoning, and I stepped in front of the camera.
Housing insecurity has shaped my life in ways I never expected. After being forced out of my home through an owner move-in eviction, I found myself searching for stability. Living aboard a small boat in a community of artists and maritime workers, I became part of the story I had set out to capture. The threat of displacement loomed over us, just as it had for Diane and so many others before her. My friendship with Henry, in particular, became a grounding force. Through shared hardships, humor, and his sharp wit, I found new ways to embrace uncertainty and let go.
Woven into this journey are home movies of my son growing up - fragments of a life in motion. These glimpses of early motherhood, of holding on and letting go, mirror the film’s larger themes of transition and belonging. They remind me that change is both an ending and a beginning.
As the filmmaker, I undertook this project with a deep sense of purpose, managing nearly every aspect of production - from shooting to sound and editing. This is not a traditional documentary but a film shaped by relationships and storytelling as a way to navigate change. It’s a search for stability in an unstable world and an invitation to witness lives that might otherwise go unseen.
At its heart, Looking For My Anchor is about transformation - the ways we adapt, endure, and find meaning in the spaces between loss and renewal.
