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A story about taxation without representation — one most Americans haven’t heard of — is coming home to the South Coast this month.
Paul Cuffe, who was a local Black and Wampanoag sea merchant and abolitionist in the 19th century, is the focus of the short film “Cuffe: Taxed,” set to premiere at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Thursday, Aug. 13.
The 15-minute film follows Cuffe in 1778 as he sails with his brother-in-law Michael Wainer from Dartmouth to Nantucket, navigating around British patrols to deliver supplies to the colonists ashore.
Born free on Cuttyhunk Island in 1759, Cuffe was known for being the wealthiest Black man in the U.S. before the Civil War as well as one of the forefathers of Black Nationalism.
He was first imprisoned by the British for smuggling goods by boat to Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands. Local authorities later sent Cuffe to jail in Taunton in 1780 for not paying his taxes, after he argued in letters to the General Court of Bristol County and the selectmen of Dartmouth that he should not have to pay taxes without being granted the right to vote.
Tyson Brown, who plays Cuffe, said he did not know who Cuffe was prior to auditioning for the film.
“It made me reflect, because I was kind of mad,” he said. “We know about all these other historical figures, but it just made me question who else don’t we know about that is just as important.”
Anita Allison, who wrote, directed and produced the short film, said when the Whaling Museum contacted her about premiering the film there, she felt it was the right place to showcase it.
“Cuffe’s story is a South Coast story,” Allison said. “This is our story, and this is about bringing his story home.”
Allison first learned of Cuffe in 2022 when she visited the Whaling Museum and saw an exhibit about him, which inspired her to write a television pilot about his imprisonment by the British. She later developed a feature-length film script about his life, and from a segment of that, wrote the script for the short film “Cuffe: Taxed,” focused on Cuffe’s ventures smuggling supplies off the South Coast.
Allison, who lives in Marion, said that Cuffe is “our hero.”
Tickets for the public screening are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and museum members. The film will premiere at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Q&A panel with Allison and Brown, as well as Salustiano Berrios, who plays Michael Wainer, and Lee Blake, president of the New Bedford Historical Society.
Bringing the film to life on the South Coast
The roughly 30-person crew filmed certain scenes in local locations, including West Island and a private property in Dartmouth.
The events of the film are a “great starting point to introduce Paul to people and to leave you lingering for more and wanting to know more about him,” Brown said.
Berrios, who plays Michael Wainer, said that telling Cuffe’s story through film allows more people to learn about his history.
“One of the big benefits is that as a visual medium, you’re seeing text jump off the page,” he said. “You’re seeing it on a screen. You’re seeing it fluidly move. The colors, the facial expressions, you’re seeing it all.”
Using fourth-wall breaks and bits of humor, Allison said she prioritized making a film that got people interested in Cuffe rather than historical accuracy.
Berrios added that Allison’s decision to use some modern language in the film helps make the content more accessible for audiences.
“She made the language dance, and I think that’s why it’s very exciting,” he said.
The premiere will be followed by a fundraising gala at the Whaling Museum. Proceeds will be used to recover production costs, according to Allison, and to help fund an education initiative to distribute the film. Allison said individual donations and sponsorships from Bay Coast Bank and Fiber Optic Center, as well as some of her own personal funds, primarily financed the roughly $120,000 budget for the project.
Berrios, who formerly worked as a fifth grade teacher, said he used to play similar historical films to educate his students.
“If you’re not making what you’re teaching fun or exciting, no one’s going to really care,” he said.
Allelon Ruggiero plays William Rotch Sr., a wealthy Quaker and abolitionist who is one of Cuffe’s patrons. Ruggiero, known for his role as Steven Meeks in “Dead Poets Society,” said that balancing historical accuracy with audience interest is necessary.
“Accuracy is definitely important in telling something historical like this,” he said. “You also want to be able to mix it with it being entertaining.”
Allison said she hopes to eventually produce a feature film to tell Cuffe’s full story. Ruggiero said he would be interested in reprising his role as Rotch Sr. if a longer film was made.
Blake, the New Bedford historian, said many accomplishments of Cuffe’s are not explored in the 15-minute film, including his founding of an integrated school in Westport and his work to bring formerly enslaved people to Sierra Leone.
“He was always working against the tide, and the tide at that time was racism,” she said.
Brown said he has not seen any cut of the film, and he’ll be watching it for the first time at the premiere.
“I hope people leave feeling victorious in the sense that they can go out and accomplish their wildest dreams,” Brown said, adding that he hopes people will also feel inspired to make a difference in the world.
In addition to the Whaling Museum premiere, free showings of the film will occur at the Mayflower II Shallop Tour in Westport, Dartmouth, Cuttyhunk, and Nantucket from Aug. 15 through 21.
Kiva Bank of New Bedford is a student at Yale University who is covering arts, culture and the city as a summer intern for The Light. Email Kiva Bank at kbank@newbedfordlight.org.
Editor’s note: Lee Blake is a member of The New Bedford Light’s Board of Directors. The New Bedford Light’s newsroom is scrupulously independent. Only the editors decide what to cover and what to publish. Founders, funders and board members have no influence over editorial content.
