A Must-Watch Film
Seaspiracy is absolutely shocking. It’s a damning and illuminating documentary that lifts the shiny veil clinging to our oceans to expose a rotten and corrupt core. Behind the sustainable promises from big corporations and plastic straw campaigns worldwide, the real truth is left hidden. Under this plastic layer of deception though is an industry that’s literally killing our oceans. This 90 minute documentary is an unflinching look at the damage done to our blue planet. Well-researched and hard-hitting, what begins as an examination into whaling soon spirals into so much worse. Pest control, deceptively coloured salmon and sea piracy are but a few topics discussed here, and the longer the film goes on the more horrifying the truths are. A lot of the time buzz words like “must-see” and “shocking” are thrown around the entertainment industry and lose their credibility. Honestly though, this film deserves both those labels. Every part of this industry is mired in corruption and greed, right the way through to the non-profit organizations that serve as wolves in sheep’s clothing. What’s particularly interesting here though is just how much the buck is passed around. No one seems able to answer simple questions and as the film progresses, this becomes more and more apparent. This globe-trotting documentary examines all forms of ocean corruption, from salmon farms in Scotland across to Shark Fin markets in China. A lot of these scenes are shot with either shaky handheld or spy cameras, backing up the threat these filmmakers face in doing this. In fact, one scene shows the camera crew forced to scramble out a building mid-interview thanks to a police tip off. Alongside this fly-on-the-wall approach are a lot of facts that use great comparisons to show the devastation of the damage done to our oceans. Understanding the sheer scale of this through diagrams or expository text laid over establishing shots works really well to hammer home the message. Sure, some people will go into this and write it off as sensationalist or conspiratorial but to be honest, the fact Ali Tabrizi and his team had so many issues interviewing higher-ups to explain themselves is pretty telling. The final 15 minutes of this documentary changes tone slightly, with a poignant, sombre reminder of what’s happening to our oceans. With the water bleached a sickly shade of red, these scenes depict a form of whaling called Grind. The sound design here in particular is harrowing, and coupled with the images themselves, make for an incredibly difficult watch. Our oceans are in real trouble. According to one study seafood may disappear by the year 2048, and if that happens we’ll be looking at a real ecological disaster like none other. I don’t know about you guys but this documentary has put me off eating fish for a long time. Powerful, harrowing and absolutely unmissable, Seaspiracy is a must-watch film.
