REEL CANADA Blog : Tags : environment

On April 22nd every year, we celebrate Earth Day to promote a heathlier environment. In honour of the 43rd Earth Day, here are a selection of thought provoking Canadian films from the REEL CANADA catalogue that may change your perspective on how you treat the environment. 

SHARKWATER

Filmmaker Rob Stewart sets out to dispel the myth that they’re bloodthirsty, merciless monsters who prowl the seas in search of tasty swimmers. SHARKWATER takes you into shark-filled oceans, exposing the true nature of sharks as well as the way human interference has turned this noble predator into prey. Stewart teams up with a rogue environmentalist group on a breathtaking adventure to battle shark poachers around the globe. His incredible journey will make you see sharks in a whole new light.

PROJECT GRIZZLY

A documentary follows a Canadian fellow working on his dream: building a suit of armor so he can observe grizzly bears from a close distance.

WALK IN THE FOREST

A medicine man walks in the woods and discovers an intriguing secret world.

QAGGIQ

A late-winter Inuit camp in the 1930's. Four families build a qaggiq, a large communal igloo, to celebrate the coming of spring with games, singing and drum dancing.

HEART OF THE WORLD

Story of a state scientist Anna, and the two brothers who vie for her love while she tries to save the world.

THE SNOW WALKER

A pilot and his passenger struggle for survival after crashing in the Arctic tundra.

We’re starting something new here on our blog...the REEL CANADA Film Club! Every Friday we’ll be highlighting one of the awesome Canadian films from our catalogue. Today we kick things off with SHARKWATER.

About SHARKWATER

For filmmaker Rob Stewart, exploring sharks began as an underwater adventure. What it turned into was a beautiful and dangerous life journey into the balance of life on earth.

Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.

Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.

Stewart's remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world's sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.

SHARKWATER director/producer/writer Rob Stewart shares stories about his experience making SHARKWATER on George Stroumboulopolous Tonight:

About Rob Stewart

Rob Stewart is a Toronto native who got started on his way to making the successful film, Sharkwater, at the age of 13 when he began to experiment with underwater photography. Stewart has worked as chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s series of magazines and was an award-winning freelance journalist. Four years of filming and travel through 15 different countries resulted in his debut documentary, Sharkwater, which has won numerous awards at film festivals worldwide.

Rob Stewart has a new documentary, REVOLUTION, coming out on April 12, 2013! Check out the trailer for it below:

You can find SHARKWATER at your local independent video store or public library. 

SHARKWATER links: Website|Facebook|Twitter

On Tuesday April 17th, REEL CANADA makes a splash in Winnipeg with a three-venue, six-film event for over 400 students at River East Collegiate. The school is managing the tech and logistics for this event, while REEL CANADA brings in the films, the talent, and the awesome discussions about Canadian culture and identity, of course. We're thrilled to be working with Pat Chelack, the teacher at River East who first contacted us not long ago with big dreams of a festival event before the end of the school year. 

In the morning at River East we'll be screening THE CORPORATION (with a Q&A via Skype with Kat Dodds, producer of the multi-media web project for the blockbuster documentary), THE ROCKET (with a Q&A via Skype with NHL Publisher and hockey-whiz Dan Diamond) and SHARKWATER (with eco-warrior, filmmaker, and REEL CANADA superstar Emily Hunter in attendance, live). 

In the afternoon, students will be watching the documentary SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL (with a Skype Q&A with director Peter Raymont) as well as the films PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI and MAMBO ITALIANO.

River East collegiate is a UNESCO Associated School, which means that they're dedicated to supporting international understanding, peace, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development, and quality education. The school contacted REEL CANADA in the hopes of putting together a festival on social justice and environmental issues to complement and support the work they're already doing in those areas. The doc-heavy programme of thought provoking films will spark some engaging dialogue and hopefully inspire some bright young Winnipeggers to change the world!