Sharkwater: Demystifying Ocean Beasts
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 03.25.07
Can terror pass through amniotic fluid? My mother jokes that seeing Jaws at the height of her pregnancy transmitted the phobia that kept me from snorkeling in the open seas until age 27. Who knows? Certainly there are many of us out there whose greatest fear involves clinging to a flotation device, legs dangling, dorsal fins circling, with that indelible music accompanying the horror....
We've spoken of the disservice popular culture has done to our shark friends here and here. The new film Sharkwater, which opened in Canada on Friday and will premier in the States in September, gives them a new image, and explores some species' impending extinction:
Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.In an effort to protect sharks, [filmmaker] Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.
Sharkwater's effect has been compared to March of the Penguins, and it has caught awards in festivals all over the world. Sounds like a good night at the movies, with the image makeover working as a bonus.
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Good post Kyeann.
Sharks need some hugging too!
Don't underestimate the power of Jaws back in the day. Grandma Pauline took my brother and me to see it in the theater and we were both terrified every time we went near a toilet for the next week. Ridiculous and a real stretch - I know, but absolutely true. Listen to your mother. She knows what she's talking about on this one.
Wow, I can't wait to go see it! Conservation International put out a story about sharks today too, "Preying on Predators". There's a great video which could "tide" you over until the movie comes to the US.
http://www.conservation.org/xp/frontlines/2007/03260701.xml
(Sorry for the bad pun)
Cheers!
Hi - My son and I just came back from seeing this movie (in Toronto) and were really moved. We would highly recommend it to anyone who can see it in Canada now or in America or in September. The underwater footage is fabulous. True, the movie is political - there is alot of footage of the mutilation of sharks by poachers and while unpleasant, this awful reality should not be ignored. See it and help spread the word!
Sharkwater must be seen. This information must be spread far and wide about this horrible practice of finning sharks. It is an absolutely disgusting what is happening to these creatures of the sea and the resulting damage to other marine wildlife and the consequences to the health of this planet. Please, please spread the word and boycott all places that sell shark fins, soup and all other uses.
Anyone know where this is playing in the New York Met area? There was a premier but no showtimes anywhere it seems