- 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 life-long 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 e
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 life-long 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. 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. One of mankind’s greatest fears–the shark–is convincingly cast in a sympathetic light by the award-winning documentary Sharkwater. Wildlife photographer-turned-filmmaker Rob Stewart is the driving force behind the film, and if his on-camera presence occasionally tilts towards self-aggrandizement, it’s countered by the breathtaking quality of his footage of sharks and his compassionate argument for their protection. Stewart’s coverage of the sharkfin trade is equally compelling, and scenes of wholesale slaughter of sharks for their fins (a delicacy and alleged medicine in Asian countries) are likely to disturb. Viewers may be split on Stewart’s hands-on approach to combating the practice, which includes taking on pirates and police, but his intentions are honorable and do much to bring this alarming situation to light. The DVD includes a ’60s-era Navy training film about sharks, which is amusing until one realizes how much its fearful tone has been echoed through decades, as well as a making-of featurette and theatrical trailer. –Paul Gaita
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March 25, 2010
#1
This documentary gets the idea across that simple stupidity is still the major cause of environmental degradation on this planet. Sharks are magnificent but are being hunted to extinction worldwide to feed the Asian superstition industry. Come on people. Pull your heads out of your rear ends.
I bought a copy and circulated it with my friends at work who don’t get out as much.
March 25, 2010
#2
This is a documentary about shark-lover Rob Stewart, who (like me) has always loved sharks. Here, he tells us the truth about sharks, for example, he states that they are not as dangerous as they are claimed to be, due to popular inaccurate beliefs. He also explains the importance of sharks in the food chain, in the ocean.
Stewart also presents the world of shark finning, off Costa Rica and the Galapagos.
This is a very refreshing documentary that will change the viewer’s opinion, but fast!, on sharks and their lives.
Great images, and splendid undersea footage.
March 25, 2010
#3
I was privileged to meet both Rob Stewart and Paul Watson at a media event, and both gave very emotional presentations on the plight of the world’s oceans and the creatures we humans are systematically wiping out. Sharks, in particular, have received a bad rep throughout the ages, just like wolves on dry land. To understand these magnificent creatures you need to learn more about them. I have personally been in the water with sharks on several occasions and was fascinated by the amazing agility and grace these animals possess. Yes, wild animals can be dangerous, that’s why we call them “wild”, but if you know more about them you will realize that they do not deserve the bad reputation and shock effect they seem to generate among most people. Sharks have been around for eons, and humans, who have been around for just a comparably short time, are destroying them either because of fear, a misguided desire for “exotic” foods, or because they consider it a “sport”. We have to come to our senses soon, or it will be too late for many species. Watch the movie and realize that sharks deserve a chance to continue in their domain as undisturbed as possible.
March 25, 2010
#4
The data for the feature film on the Blu-Ray disc seems to be encoded as 1080/60i, not 1080p as described. I have several feature films on Blu-Ray and they all play at 1080/24p according to my display (Sony VPL-VW60) but this disc, like some other documentaries, plays back at 1080/60i. The packaging indicates its 1080p, I assumed 1080/24p but it’s not. It’s an MPEG-2 encoded 1080/60i feature and while the film is excellent, the video quality is sub-par for a blu-ray release. It still looks better than a normal DVD, but not by a lot.
March 25, 2010
#5
I love this movie and watching it makes me feel sorry for every animal in the ocean when I go diving. I gave the movie five stars but there are some parts I would change.
My friends who I watched the movie with reacted like: “Why he swims only with small reef sharks? That’s nothing special, I do the same every weekend.” and that’s true. The movie tries to change people’s mind about sharks but swimming with these small reef sharks doesn’t prove anything. Why didn’t they record diving with great hammerheads, bullsharks or even the great white. If people saw that it would be something to talk about.
The BR edition is great however mixing HD with the non-HD parts should have been avoided, but this is only the technical ascpect.