movies
‘To The Arctic’: Sneak Peek
We’re excited to be a partner of “To the Arctic,” a new IMAX film by MacGillivray Freeman coming out April 20.
The film, narrated by Meryl Streep, follows a mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Extraordinary footage brings you up close and personal with this family’s struggle to survive.
Check out the trailer, share it and spread the word!
Watch 'Big Miracle' and Help the Oceans
Last week we had a great time at the Washington, DC premiere of “Big Miracle,” the true story of an activist who spearheads an international effort to save three gray whales trapped in the ice in northern Alaska.
The film stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski (“The Office”) and Oceana board member Ted Danson also makes an appearance as – get this – an an oil executive.
The movie comes out this Friday, Feb. 3, and we’re excited to be included in the film’s promotion. Starting today, for every two or more tickets you purchase on Fandango, Big Miracle and Universal Pictures will donate $1 to Oceana – up to $10,000!
So get your tickets to “Big Miracle” and also be sure to check out the cool whale infographics on the movie’s site.
Actress Sarah Shahi Wants to ‘Stop the Drill’
Actress Sarah Shahi is a rising star in Hollywood, and she also happens to be one of Oceana’s newest and most fervent celebrity supporters.
You might recognize Shahi from the Showtime series “The L Word,” where she played Carmen, a bilingual production assistant who moonlights as a DJ. She has also appeared in the films “Old School,” "For Your Consideration,” and on the TV shows "The Sopranos,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Frasier” and “Alias.”
But when she’s not acting, she also plays the part of activist. This summer, she learned about our Stop the Drill campaign surrounding the Gulf oil spill and it struck a chord with her. On her Facebook and Twitter pages, she encouraged her supporters to take action with Oceana to stop offshore drilling. She changed her profile photo to a picture of herself holding a sign that read “Stop the Drill,” and she encouraged her supporters and friends to do the same.
Chesapeake Watermen Struggle in 'The Last Boat Out'
When John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1600s he reported that oysters "lay as thick as stones." Now they are at about 2 percent of their historic population, and in 2008 the federal government declared the blue crab fishery a commercial failure.
The Bay has seen much better days, and so have its watermen. Such is this premise of a new documentary by Laura Seltzer, “The Last Boat Out." Wednesday evening I attended an advanced screening of the documentary, which is narrated by Oceana board member Sam Waterston.
The 30-minute film portrays the Chesapeake Bay's watermen as an endangered species themselves, fighting to stay afloat amid shrinking populations of crabs, oysters and fish -- their historic bread and butter.
Filmmaker Laura Seltzer focuses on a pair of middle-aged brothers who are struggling to continue the family business on the water. They represent a few of the 2800 remaining watermen, who have seen a 70% decline in 30 years.
Nutrient pollution is a big part of the problem, as Seltzer demonstrates. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture, wastewater and fertilizer deplete the bay’s oxygen, creating dead zones that can’t sustain life.
'Océans' Film Washes Over France
As Time reports this week, according to box office figures, the oceans have eclipsed George Clooney in popularity this week -- at least in France.
More than 100,000 people went to see Jacques Perrin's new documentary, Océans, in its first 48 hours in French theaters, which is double the number that went to see Clooney's Up in the Air. (They opened the same day).
Océans is the culmination of two years of planning, four years of filming, which included 70 expeditions to 54 shooting locations. The film banks on the beauty of the oceans (plus the skill of the crew and some fancy equipment) to convince viewers that ocean conservation is paramount. Not surprisingly, the technique works, say the critics.
Perrin produced the 1996 documentary, Microcosmos, which followed insects at close range, and 2001’s acclaimed Winged Migration.
As a documentary buff and ocean lover, I’m marking my calendar: the film opens in the U.S. on Earth Day, April 22.
