by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
A Rated PG 91 min.
Steven Spielberg’s famous film Jaws inadvertently created the myth that sharks are mindless predators hell bent on eating humans. Spielberg’s large mechanical shark was a toothy monster from the deep and that film perpetuated the myth that sharks are man-eating machines to be killed at will or hunted for their meat and fins. Documentary filmmaker Rob Stewart has dedicated his life to filming sharks to dispel the myths about this sleek, intelligent, and graceful animal, which Stewart proves poses no threat to humans.
“[Jaws] did have a negative impact on the public’s perception that sharks are mindless man-killers. Of course, there have been many anti-shark films, like the latest, Open Water,” said Stewart when asked about the impact the media has on people’s perception of sharks as man-eaters.
Today, some species of shark have been hunted to almost extinction for their meat and fins. This stunning high-definition documentary is a reality check that illustrates how important sharks are to the delicate ocean ecology. Stewart swims with sharks, studies their behavior, and feeds them by hand, debunking the stereotypes and the media-fed mythology. He has lobbied governments and faced prison and death to get his message to these poor countries.
“Sharks have been in our oceans for over 400 million years. They have survived five major extinctions and now they are being fished out. Many countries have no sharks left because they are being illegally harvested for their fins. But there was no movement to save the sharks until I made this film. I’ve spent my whole life swimming with sharks and they go out of their way to avoid me. They are highly intelligent and sense our energy. I’ve learned to dive with a calm energy and when they sense that they will swim over to me. They are curious, and want to learn what humans are all about. All shark attacks are accidents–that is, the shark mistakenly thinking a surfer, for instance, is a seal. They bite and then usually let go. Humans are not on the shark’s menu. But it’s their world that we invade.”
Stewart goes on an expedition with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Vessel as it tries to stop illegal long-line fishing and the corrupt fin-fishing business, now condemned by most countries. The Sea Shepherd tries to get the governments involved with arresting the poachers. This aggressive vessel is known to ram and sink a boat when necessary. The greedy poachers cut the fins of sharks that are still alive then throw them back into the sea to die a miserable death. Stewart proves that shark fins have no medical or beneficial quality, but Asians still pay enormous sums of money for the delicacy made into a soup. In some Asian countries they believe that since sharks never get sick with human diseases (such as cancer) they have a special chemical in their bodies that, when consumed as food, will transfer into the person. It’s completely untrue.
Stewart even got arrested in Costa Rica for his part in filming an incident with a fin fishing vessel that fought back. But he managed to slip out of the country before being sent to jail. Before filming Sharkwater, Stewart spent four years traveling the world as chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s magazine and as an award-winning freelance photojournalist. Stewart is a master diver logging thousands of hours underwater studying shark behavior.
While on assignment filming sharks in the Galapagos Islands, Stewart found his cause celebre when he discovered illegal long-lining which indiscriminately killed sharks within the marine reserve just for their fins. Over a period of time, Stewart tried promoting a campaign to stop this cruel practice, but no one would listen. So, Stewart decided to make a documentary that would win awards and get his cause noticed.
“We are releasing the film wide in the United States on Nov. 2, 2007, which will get it into the holiday schedule. I’m confident the film will do well and setup a dialogue that will lead to change. We also have school programs available. It’s all about educating the public.”
The film was a runaway hit on the festival circuit. It won just about every best documentary award at every major film festival this year, including Canada’s Top Ten award. Sharkwater has since gone on to become the most award-winning documentary of the year. Sharks are an important asset to the oceans’ ecology and they are not the vicious man-eating monsters of the famous anti-shark movies. Hopefully, this riveting film will change conventional thinking about sharks and help to make long-line fin fishing illegal around the globe.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
