Les seigneurs de la mer

Call this film the myth-buster of all shark films! Call it beautifully filmed. Call it the start of a major kelproots movement. It is a call, a cry for our attention! Grassroots documentaries are not uncommon and are a vitally necessary form of information. Sharkwater brings this kind of movement from the ocean to our theaters *Releasing across Canada March 23, September release in the U.S., and hopefully soon to our schools and homes.

Rob Stewart (Essentially the one man movie band) brings us, along with his passion, into the oceanic ecosystem and gives a grand, albeit disturbing, view of the life there. His message is clear and strong, and provides an even picture of what is happening to the oldest oceanic life form and to the people connected to it. Hint: we all are.

Take your children, your teens and give some small amount of your time to the questions presented here. There is a powerful story here, with concise editing and beautiful cinematography, it is time well spent.

I had an awfully difficult time getting anyone to see this movie with me. Apparently, a lot of people have issues with sharks. This apprehension was part of the original inspiration for filmmaker, Rob Stewart, to make SHARKWATER. He had been taught his entire life to fear sharks, as have we. The media vilifies sharks every so often to remind us that they are not our friends. It isn't safe to get in the water after all. Haven't you all seen that movie with sharks where they eat all the innocent people? It's as if we have never fully recovered from JAWS. In his career as an underwater photographer, Stewart discovered that these fears are almost entirely unfounded. He could swim with the sharks and get close enough to touch them if he showed them that he did not fear them and that they had no reason to fear him. And so he set out to make a documentary that would demystify our notions that sharks are perversely obsessed with the killing of human beings. What he would discover is that we as humans have already launched a full-scale retaliation against our sworn enemy.

Stewart's experience as an underwater photographer does not go to waste in this breathtaking film. Stewart's ocean is one of tranquility and warmth. Over time, it has become his sanctuary and he presents the environment to his audience with the same feeling of security that he claims to get from it. Though he was once very much like a fish out of water, Stewart has found a new home in the ocean and his neighbors don't seem to mind him at all. The imagery of SHARKWATER was what originally drew me to the film and it does not disappoint. Schools of fish of so many different varieties swim past and mingle with each other that the screen becomes a mélange colour and movement that is at times dizzying and hypnotic. And though those same fish scatter when the sharks enter the frame, Stewart does not. Instead, he swims towards them and in one instant you see how two species can forget their supposed feud between them by letting their fear of the unknown fall away. For a moment, two world collide to create an unexpected harmony.

This only makes what follows all the more painful. Stewart's shoot took an unforeseen turn when he joined the crew of a militant oceanic watchdog ship that makes it their mission to ensure international treaties protecting the rights of ocean dwellers are upheld. Before long, Stewart and the crew are involved in an international scandal over shark-finning. In some countries, like Japan, shark fin soup is considered a delicacy that when served affirms one's social status. It is popular at massive weddings and can cost upwards of a hundred dollars in a restaurant. According to Stewart, shark fin trading on the black market is only second to drug trafficking. Although the statistic seems a bit skewed, there are still billions of dollars involved in the trade. For the first time in the 450 billion years that sharks have been on this planet, there are certain species of sharks that are facing serious threats of extinction. Once again, human beings plow through other life in pursuit of the almighty dollar without acknowledging the long term ramifications. See, the planet consists of two-thirds water and this water contains a lot of plankton that produces 70% of the planet's oxygen. The ocean is filled with fish that survive on plankton. The shark is the ocean's leading predator of these plankton eaters. If we kill off all the sharks, then the other fish will have free reign over the plankton, which means a diminished production of oxygen for us to breathe. Why do we always assume that our actions have no consequence? And why do we always put money ahead of preservation? You can't spend money if you can't breathe.

All of this ecological unrest for soup. Shark fishers remove the fins of the shark, which make up 5% of the shark's body, and throw the shark back into the ocean to die. Stewart and his crew go undercover into the illegal industry to give weight to their accusations. As you stare out at rooftops covered with shark fins drying the sun, you cannot help but be horrified at the sheer size of the operation. SHARKWATER invites you to make friends with the enemy and to see how we as humans are so much worse to sharks than they are to us. The mirror is turned to expose who is the more evil predator and its mouth is not home to sharp jagged teeth but rather to a smiling face sipping down its soup. Sadly, SHARKWATER will not be seen by as many as it should as people prefer their sharks as foe instead of friend. Bring on JAWS 5!

you know, the scary thing is, living in Costa Rica, you can see blatant signs of deals between the Costa Rican Government and the Taiwanese..... Rob Stewart is a genius for bringing this to the attention of the public - something I have been fighting against for a while now. I have just come back from volunteering at Cocos Island, and it breaks my heart to see the long lines set up in supposedly protected waters. The message is out in Costa Rica that it is OK to fish here, and nothing will happen to you if you get caught.... we need more people like "Sea Shepherd", who care, and can see the devastation that this is causing....

I saw this film on an advanced screening, with the director present afterwards for Q&A. The movie has some simply amazing underwater visuals and from what the film maker said was his first attempt at underwater cinematography, and I really must commend him on it. There is great flow to the movie and its very effective in delivering its message. Whether or not you agree with the Sea Shepards Society's methods is secondary to the point of this film. I would highly recommend anyone to go see this film, mind you at times it does seem somewhat graphic but comparatively it's not that bad. While it is a documentary, it is never dry and the film maker's story makes the doc so much more compelling to watch. There are few films that can completely change your view on something, and this would count among them. It highlights sharks in a completely different light and has given me a new appreciation and admiration for them. I full encourage people to go out and see this movie! Note: as cleared up in previous statements, the facts are correct. Sharks are keystone species, and removal of them from the food chain could possibly reek havoc on the rest of the ecosystem, including organisms responsible for the air we breathe. As well, around 50 million sharks are harvested each year, each providing about a pound of shark fin which retails for $200, the math would properly equate into the trillions. I believe the previous commenter misheard or interpreted part of the film.

From the opening credits with the first scene showing the Director with the sharks you knew this was not your ordinary shark movie. This young man, Rob Stewart risks his life to tell us that we cannot ignore what is happening in the worlds oceans - if we do we will all pay the price and threaten our own existence. A very strong message that everyone needs to hear. And not just the Amercian audiences but the international audiences, especially the Chinese who are becoming the next world power and who are the primary consumers of shark fins, and the primary reason sharks of every kind are facing extinction. On top of the story and its importance, the movie is a stunning visual treat, showing us an under water world only a few will every really see - this young filmmaker has done an outstanding job and I hope the rest of the world discovers this film and recognizes how important it is.