Marine scientist Marcus Eriksen and unusual team of explorers study the real threat of plastic waste while disproving some widely publicised myths about ocean pollution in The Smog of the Sea.
In this 30 minute documentary, Eriksen leads a team of citizen scientists, namely; renowned surfers Keith & Dan Malloy, musician Jack Johnson, spearfisher woman Kimi Werner, and bodysurfer Mark Cunningham. Together they assess the fate of plastics in the world’s oceans.
Using super-8 footage, cinematographers Ian Cheney and Jack Johnson are able to create a feeling of nostalgia. This strategy of remembrance coupled with sparkling underwater cinematography, an original score by Johnson and shipmate Simon Beins, and live action footage of the crew’s research, lend a modern brilliance to the documentary.
But no cinematic experience is complete without a story. In this narrative, viewers learn alongside the crew that while the infamous island of floating trash doesn’t exist, there might be something even more harmful in our waters.
Ultimately, we can clean up a garbage patch, but how do we stop a fog?
Cheney, who is also the director, is a Peabody award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker.
Watch the trailer here:
