But the filming got me thinking about ocean/fisheries documentaries in general. There is of course the slew of Howard Hall films, the lovely Blue Planet series (which, after five years of filming, captured some extraordinary behavior), and the delightful adventure through the Drake Passage with Berserk in the Antarctic. There is Darwin's Nightmare, which was misconstrued as a film centered on fish when it was actually about weapons (something I wrote about here). I would like to know some of the favorite (or least favorite) ocean documentaries out there and, if possible, what made them great (or horrible). What are the best (or worst) ocean documentaries? (And no, A Fish Called Wanda doesn't count.)
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Jennifer Jacquet is a Ph.D. candidate with the Sea Around Us Project at the UBC Fisheries Centre. She works closely with Dr. Daniel Pauly, who coined the term Shifting Baselines, the syndrome on which this blog focuses.
Josh Donlan is a conservation scientist and a Visting Fellow at Cornell University. He often hides out in the backcountry of the Teton Mountains, pondering bygone giant beavers and ground sloths. He also is also the founder and Director of Advanced Conservation Strategies and has a habit of restoring remote islands.
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What Are the Best Ocean Films?
Category: Communicating
Posted on: August 20, 2007 9:00 PM, by Jennifer L. Jacquet
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Comments
Best ocean film ever made, hands down, was "The Living Seas" -- narrated by Meryl Streep, music from Sting, nominated for an Oscar. Now let's hear all the purist whine. Just like in film school when I would tell my classmates that "Titanic" is the greatest movie ever made. It made the most money. It must be the best. Case closed.
Posted by: Randy Olson, Head Dodo | August 20, 2007 10:20 PM
There is a film edit of the Blue Planet series called Deep Blue.
One of the best bits of the Blue Planet series was the 'making of' short films. You really get to appreciate the skill and effort of the film makers.
Posted by: Simon Harding | August 21, 2007 12:36 AM
I also enjoyed Clover's book a great deal. It motivated me to do a lot more research on West African fisheries, especially. Hopefully, the documentary film will add to public awareness about the issues.
While Blue Planet has already been mentioned, it is worth reminding people that the BBC's Planet Earth also includes several episodes about the oceans, with further discussion of ocean issues on the final DVD, which discusses ecological threats specifically.
Posted by: Milan | August 21, 2007 12:00 PM
I don't think Sharkwater has gotten the recognition it deserves yet, although one of my favorites is Blue Water, White Death. No, it's not conservation minded, but it's still an exciting and interesting film from when the Great White Shark was almost more myth and monster than reality. Outside of those, the Blue Planet series was utterly fantastic.
Posted by: Laelaps | August 22, 2007 12:53 PM
Although not a documentary.....I simply love Finding Nemo! It is such a feel-good ocean film, reminding us that our actions do affect the ocean's critters. Anthropomorphic? Yes, but delightful still! I didn't realize that The End of the Line would be made into a film - am looking forward to it.
Posted by: Megan | August 22, 2007 9:32 PM
No, it's not conservation minded, but it's still an exciting and interesting film from when the Great White Shark was almost more myth and monster than reality.
Posted by: green tea products | September 1, 2009 9:08 AM
Sharkwater changed my life
Posted by: Surge Gainsboard | September 1, 2010 8:57 PM
Oceans 2010 is spectacular.
Posted by: Chris Curtin | May 7, 2011 3:29 PM