"Row Hard, No Excuses" screening
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
They compromised everything in their lives to row 3,000 miles in a rowboat across the Atlantic - a challenge that has seen fewer victors than scaling Mount Everest. Tom Mailhot and John Zeigler spent years preparing for the journey, which lasted 58 days in 2001 - the duration of the Atlantic Rowing Challenge, which includes neither food assistance nor navigational aids. Competitors have to assemble their own boats, and they have no prize

COURTESY LANTERN FILMS Tom Mailhot and John Zeigler rearranged their entire lives to row 3,000 miles - a journey captured in the documentary "Row Hard, No Excuses"

money ahead.

Of the crew on the 36 teams from

aroud the world, Mailhot and Ziegler were among the oldest to participate in the race. But age was the smallest obstacle they had to face.

Mailhot was laid off from his job as a construction supervisor for putting too much energy into building the boat and ended up deeply in debt as a result, according to the film's Web site; Zeigler's decision to pursue the race was "the last straw that ended his marriage."

Luke Wolbach produced and directed "Row Hard, No Excuses," the film chronicling these men's transatlantic rowboat race from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

The documentary has been an official selection at a multitude of festivals, including Cannes, Boston and Nantucket, where it won "Best Storytelling in a Documentary" at this summer's festival.

It and returns to Nantucket courtesy of the NFF this Friday, Aug. 24 for a benefit screening at Westmoor Farm's Green Barn

"The story starts off as an exciting sports adventure and seemingly noble quest, but when confronted with sleep deprivation, seasickness, isolation, boredom and cramped living conditions the men discover inner resources that they never knew they had, all the while wondering if their journey wasn't more like an ill-fated nightmare," said Jill Burkhart, director of the Nantucket Film Festival. "Row Hard No Excuses delves into the deeper elements of the human psyche and physical endurance, illuminating an intimate portrait of two middle aged American men as they explore a profoundly personal quest."

The film will screen at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a reception and discussion at 5:30 p.m. with MSNBC's Chris Matthews and one of the film's subjects, rower Tom Mailhot. Tickets cost $150 and may be purchased at the door, if available, or by calling (212)

708-1261. I