An extraordinary encounter off Cape Cod becomes a deeply moving story of survival in In the Whale, the documentary from filmmaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe reporter David Abel. In June 2021, Provincetown commercial lobster diver Michael Packard was engulfed in the mouth of a humpback whale and released roughly 30 seconds later—an experience that made headlines around the world. Abel follows the fisherman beyond that burst of fame, exploring his earlier brushes with death, his struggles with depression, and the enduring bonds of family, community, and the sea. What begins as an almost unbelievable adventure becomes an intimate portrait of a father finding the strength to keep going.

In the Whale received the Audience Choice Award for Documentary at the 2023 New Hampshire Film Festival, Best Feature Film at San Francisco’s Green Film Festival, Best New England Film at the Mystic Film Festival, and the Director’s Vision Award at the Blue Water Film Festival. Critic Bill Arceneaux of Moviegoing with Bill wrote, “Films like In the Whale come along rarely, but when they screen, smiles are mustered and tears are dropped.” Tim Miller of Cape Cod Wave urged readers, “if you get a chance to see it down the road, do so.” The Park Theatre presents this acclaimed documentary as part of its Filmmaker Series, with David Abel attending in person for a Q&A following the screening—an opportunity to explore both the remarkable story and the filmmaking behind it.