Film Screening in Sointula

For World Oceans Day, 2017, we hosted a screening of the film The Smog of the Sea in the Athletic Hall in Sointula, BC. The hall is beautifully decorated with old fishing nets, and was the perfect setting for screening a film about microplastics in the world’s oceans. 

Directed by Ian Cheney, the film chronicles a one week journey through the remote waters of the Sargasso Sea, where marine scientist Marcus Eriksen is joined by surfers, a spearfisher, a bodysurfer, and musician Jack Johnson, who all take on roles as citizen scientists gathering samples of microplastics from the side of their boat. We watch as they arrive at their destination ocean gyre, only to find that it is, at first glance, nothing but crystal clear blue water with no garbage in sight. Soon, though, they realize the plastic is most definitely there, in the form of tiny bits of broken down plastic spread out throughout the whole ocean, creating an almost invisible, but extremely dangerous, “smog” of microplastics.

Though many of us in the audience have participated in lots of beach clean ups, and have read numerous articles about marine debris, this film was still quite eye opening. And yes, depressing. Overall, though, it seemed most of the audience left more motivated than ever to reduce personal use of plastics – especially single use plastics! – and to do all we can to clean up our local beaches, and spread the word. Living Oceans has since been contacted about hosting additional screenings at a couple of local North Island schools, which we’re really excited about.

If you’re interested in screening this film at a school or event near you, please get in touch with the filmmakers here.

And if you’d like to learn more about our efforts to clear remote coastal habitats in Northern Vancouver Island of plastics and other marine debris, please see here.