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Ocean Documentaries

Mission Blue

2014Film95 minRobert Nixon / Fisher Stevens
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Sylvia Earle’s campaign for the ocean

Mission Blue follows oceanographer Sylvia Earle as she campaigns to protect the seas from pressures including overfishing and toxic waste. The 2014 documentary combines a portrait of a scientist with a wider conservation mission. Earle’s work provides a personal centre for a subject that otherwise spans enormous distances and many different threats.

The Mountainfilm programme describes the film as an account of Earle’s life and achievements, following her after she receives the TED Prize. The award gives her an opportunity to pursue a network of protected marine sanctuaries. Biography and advocacy therefore develop together: her experience informs the places and goals she asks others to support.

From a gathering in the Galápagos to Hope Spots

The film’s production account describes more than 100 scientists, philanthropists and activists gathering in the Galápagos Islands to support Earle’s vision. The proposed network is compared to underwater national parks, intended to protect the natural systems on which people depend. The scale of the ambition extends beyond a single expedition or coastline.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster enters the story as that expedition ends. With oil entering the Gulf of Mexico, the film follows the effort to defend the places Earle calls Hope Spots. This connects an international conservation proposal with a specific environmental emergency and the urgency of responding to damage already taking place.

A personal route into marine conservation

Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens direct the feature. Netflix lists participants including James Cameron, Michael deGruy, Jeremy Jackson and Carl Safina alongside Earle. Their presence places her campaign within a wider community of people concerned with the ocean, while the film’s principal story remains tied to her life and work.

Film details

Format
Documentary film
Release year
2014
Director
Robert Nixon, Fisher Stevens
Production companies
Insurgent Media, True Blue Films
Country of production
United States, Bermuda, Ecuador
Language
English
Runtime
95 min