The whirlpool of attention surrounding Seaspiracy

By Niamh Casey

Seaspiracy is a documentary film that recently premiered on Netflix and is about the environmental impact fishing has on the world and on our seas. The film, starring and directed by British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, attracted immediate attention from the international audience, and has left many discussing the topics highlighted.

The one-and-a-half-hour feature plays out in a way comparable to a google search that turns into a late night internet deep dive; it jumps from one topic to another, with what can feel like rapid succession, and suddenly you forget the original question that you started with. However, that certainly does not mean that the documentary is not extremely interesting, it’s just a whirlwind of a journey.

In the opening scene we see Tabrizi talking about his love for all things sea related as he goes about cleaning up beaches, explaining that he is passionate about protecting the world’s oceans. His initial intent of the documentary was to find out more about “sustainable” fishing, whether it actually exists and just how effective it is. However, by following various leads, it leads Tabrizi to discover numerous different sides to the commercial fishing industry.

The main focus becomes showcasing the negative environmental impact fisheries have on the marine ecosystem, including the mass dumping of fishing nets, the Taiji dolphin drive hunt in Japan and even the modern slavery occurring within the fishing industry in Thailand. These facts naturally deliver a sense of shock to viewers, as for many it is their first time hearing of such scandals that take place in order to put fish on shelves in shops.

The film also makes a point of criticising several marine conservation organisations, including the Earth Island Institute and its dolphin safe label, as it does not actually guarantee that no dolphins were harmed. It also calls out the sustainable seafood certifications of the Marine Stewardship Council, pointing out their misleading nature to consumers and their lack of efforts to highlight issues such as the ghost nets in the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. The documentary likes to use a lot of shock factor to stun the audience with what they are seeing, and this led to criticism with some arguing that the issues raised throughout had a tendency to be sensationalised, which might be true to a degree. Seaspiracy is a huge advocate for marine reserves and the elimination of fish consumption, saying that it is the only actually sustainable and ethical way of protecting marine life. Quite a statement to make.

This stance, paired with the film’s use of the bombshell method of relaying disturbing facts, has garnered criticism from a percentage of viewers, as well as the The National Fisheries Institute itself, which appealed to Netflix ahead of the film’s release to “distinguish between legitimate documentaries and propaganda”, stating “audiences will not recognize the film’s true agenda as a vegan indoctrination movie”. Though the statement is extreme, it is not totally outlandish as once you watch the film you do understand where they’re coming from.

However, on the flip side, many environmental groups, such as PETA and Greenpeace, are praising the film for bringing attention to problems, namely overfishing and dolphin killings, that undeniably exist within the commercial fishing industry. There are so many points mentioned throughout the film, Seaspiracy nearly acts as an overview of the many issues there are within the multi-billion dollar industry, and you could honestly dedicate a documentary to each of them. Hence the many discussions that have followed its debut, and truthfully speaking, it is often a good sign when a feature causes this much debate. Overall, the documentary is definitely worth a watch.

Save Ralph: a plain-spoken, sad and eye-opening short film

By Charlotte Lavin

A collaboration between director Spencer Susser (The Greatest Showman, Hesher) and The Humane Society International (HSI) has resulted in the stop-motion animation work Save Ralph, a four-minute animation piece following Ralph, a tester rabbit, and his explanation of a typical day at the lab.

The project, released on April 6th, 2021, features international stars Ricky Gervais (the interviewer), Taika Waititi (Ralph the rabbit), Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Pom Klementieff and more.

The animation piece is set as an interview: we follow Ralph, a middle-age tester bunny, from the start of his workday as he gets ready, until he leaves work, blind and hurt. Ralph does not complain, he explains. Ralph is like all of us: impressed by the camera, and grateful someone is interviewing him. Ralph does not want to whine about his job: at least he has one. Susser brilliantly uses this day-to-day setting and this average Joe protagonist to draw us into the story. I felt instantly protective of Ralph, and his very timid excitement about being in front of the camera. “It’s like in the movies.”

Waititi (nominated in 2020 for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in the Primetime Emmy Award for his voice-over of IG-11 in The Mandalorian), with his impersonation of Ralph, impressed me once again. The range of emotions his voice can carry makes him the perfect’s main voice for this stop-motion animation and allows the choice of anthropomorphism to carry HSI’s message all the more powerfully.

‘’My dad was a tester, my mum, my brothers, my sisters, my kids, all testers, and they died doing their job! Like I will! And it’s okay. It’s what we were born to do!’’ This cynicism is sustained throughout the whole video, making us brutally confront our flaws. And Susser has not forgotten to add a touch of humour, too. To the statement that he is doing his job for the “superior” human race, Ralph adds: “They’ve even been to space. Have you ever seen a rabbit in a rocket ship?” It is dark humour, and it is effective. The whole video climaxes with the image of Ralph, hurt, blind and disorientated, talking to the camera after a day of work, but still not complaining. “Without you and countries that allow animal testing, I’d be out of a job!” With this, the HSI and Susser ask us: if you do not allow for humans to be treated like this, why would you think it is okay for animals? If other humans should not suffer for our benefit, why should animals?

HSI is an animal advocacy organisation part of the Humane Society of the United States. Its main goal is to outlaw animal testing “once and for all”, by engaging consumers and policy makers. The Save Ralph project serves as a reminder that animal testing is, in 2021, only banned in 40 countries across the world, and legal everywhere else.

Susser said: “When you see the horrifying reality of the way animals are treated, you can’t help but look away. What I was hoping to do with this film was create something that delivers a message without being too heavy handed. I hope that the audiences fall in love with Ralph and want to fight for him and other animals like him, so we can ban animal testing once and for all.”

I definitely fell in love with Ralph, and I hope you did too.

The Bridgerton series – will Rege-Jean Page’s absence impact the series in Season Two?

By Anastasia Burton

Firstly, let me tell you I read every single book written by Julia Quinn the author and creator of The Bridgerton’s including all specials. Something I think people forget is that this is a historical romance series with each book focusing on the love story of each sibling starting off with Daphne the eldest daughter and finishing with the youngest siblings.

The first novel includes Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings and follows the pair as their romance develops, however in the following novels you will rarely see or hear about the Hastings apart from an occasional appearance or mention about their family and their love story.

This is why it was so surprising to me when I heard reviews and read tweets about people going as far as to claim the second season is ruined without Rege-Jean Page and that they will boycott it. Like... The whole point of the series is not to follow the two characters until they age but rather to explore the love story and growth of each sibling. The second season will be focused on Anthony and his new love interest. I must admit that Anthony’s character development and love tale was one of my favourite aspects from the eight novels and of course it makes sense that Rege – Jean Page will not be present, as at the time of Anthony’s tale the Hastings are at their estate away from London living peacefully, while Anthony as the head of the family decided it is time to find a wife and therefore enters the next London season.

It’s a little upsetting to hear people be so critical of the series just because they are unaware of how the book series plays out and what the whole Bridgerton series is about. It’s about finding a love similar to that of Lady Violet Bridgerton and Lord Bridgerton who were the biggest influences in their children’s lives. Don’t drop the series just because our favourite Duke and Duchess of Hastings will not be as prominent as before, instead look on the horizon of all there is to come for the Bridgerton series. I’m sure we will have more heartthrobs and storylines that we fall in love with. Just strap in, grab a few books ahead of the second season and enjoy the ride. I promise the Bridgerton series will not disappoint.