Help Support "Man Seeking Ship" Documentary!
Donation protected
We all know that you can find anything on Craigslist. Chris Willson found out that “anything” includes a massive, antique, derelict cruise ship. Who could say no to that?
Man Seeking Ship is a feature length documentary film that follows Chris Willson and his ship The Aurora. The Aurora is a 293’ cruise ship, built in Germany in 1955 and originally christened the Wappen von Hamburg. In the intervening decades the ship changed hands again and again, serving as a passenger ferry, a luxury cruise ship, a relief vessel, a religious refuge, and as bait in one man’s elaborate scam. In 2008, Chris stumbled upon a Craigslist ad that seemed too good to be true: the now rusted and weathered ship had made its way to the California Delta and was for sale online. When Chris first saw the Aurora, he didn’t see the abandoned vessel for what it had become, but for what it could be again. He couldn’t possibly have known what was in store for him.
Chris’s eyes light up when he is envisioning the next big project for the Aurora and his excitement is contagious. He follows his interests with a stubborn and tireless passion, especially when a project seems insurmountable. And that’s never more evident than when Chris is working and welding on his ship.
He and a dedicated team of volunteers and supporters have tirelessly scraped rust from the decks, repaired electrical systems that had kept the ship in the dark for decades, replaced rotting railings and stairs, and are slowly but surely breathing new life into the old ship.
Now, in 2021, despite massive effort and progress, the restoration is far from complete. The scope of the work is massive and daunting, but Chris pushes forward. He knows one day everyone will see The Aurora the way he has always seen it.
---
While we have had the pleasure to spend some days filming aboard The Aurora, NuReality Productions is seeking funds to truly kickstart our production of this unique tale.
NuReality Productions is a small Bay-Area based independent documentary film group. Our resume includes several award-winning films, a series in development, and now we are seeking your support as we embark on this new feature length documentary.
Because of our small, hands-on crew, our past budgets have been quite modest - however with this project, we seek to expand the size of our crew, update and add to our production equipment, and bring on high-profile marketing assistance, to name a few needs. We will announce incentives for generous donations soon, which may include screen credits, tours of The Aurora, and a chance to be in our film!
Man Seeking Ship is a feature length documentary film that follows Chris Willson and his ship The Aurora. The Aurora is a 293’ cruise ship, built in Germany in 1955 and originally christened the Wappen von Hamburg. In the intervening decades the ship changed hands again and again, serving as a passenger ferry, a luxury cruise ship, a relief vessel, a religious refuge, and as bait in one man’s elaborate scam. In 2008, Chris stumbled upon a Craigslist ad that seemed too good to be true: the now rusted and weathered ship had made its way to the California Delta and was for sale online. When Chris first saw the Aurora, he didn’t see the abandoned vessel for what it had become, but for what it could be again. He couldn’t possibly have known what was in store for him.
Chris’s eyes light up when he is envisioning the next big project for the Aurora and his excitement is contagious. He follows his interests with a stubborn and tireless passion, especially when a project seems insurmountable. And that’s never more evident than when Chris is working and welding on his ship.
He and a dedicated team of volunteers and supporters have tirelessly scraped rust from the decks, repaired electrical systems that had kept the ship in the dark for decades, replaced rotting railings and stairs, and are slowly but surely breathing new life into the old ship.
Now, in 2021, despite massive effort and progress, the restoration is far from complete. The scope of the work is massive and daunting, but Chris pushes forward. He knows one day everyone will see The Aurora the way he has always seen it.
---
While we have had the pleasure to spend some days filming aboard The Aurora, NuReality Productions is seeking funds to truly kickstart our production of this unique tale.
NuReality Productions is a small Bay-Area based independent documentary film group. Our resume includes several award-winning films, a series in development, and now we are seeking your support as we embark on this new feature length documentary.
Because of our small, hands-on crew, our past budgets have been quite modest - however with this project, we seek to expand the size of our crew, update and add to our production equipment, and bring on high-profile marketing assistance, to name a few needs. We will announce incentives for generous donations soon, which may include screen credits, tours of The Aurora, and a chance to be in our film!
Fundraising team (3)
Robert James
Organizer
San Rafael, CA
Rudy Behrens
Team member
Nicholas Blond
Team member