Film wins 26 awards but will not be screened in Malta
During the last six months, cinemas all over the world have been premiering a movie that has already won 26 international awards including best environmental film of 2008. This documentary is Sharkwater but regretfully, it will never reach cinemas here in Malta.
When film-maker Rob Stewart set out to film sharks in their natural element, little did he realise that it was going to change and endanger his life. Mr Stewart discovered the true horror of shark finning and in an effort to protect sharks, he joins conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Their unbelievable journey starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark finning poachers in Guatemala. This soon turns into pirate boat ramming and gunboat fire chases, mafia espionage, a corrupt court system and even attempted murder charges, forcing the crew to flee for their lives.
Mr Stewart brings to the big screen the horrific truth about the dangers that sharks are facing. Over 100 million sharks are being brutally massacred every year...that's 190 sharks per minute! Finning involves the cutting off of fins and dumping the rest of the shark (most often still alive) back into the sea.
The fins are then used in an oriental dish called Shark Fin Soup. Shark fins are in fact tasteless and it is the other ingredients in the soup that give it some taste.
Sharkwater takes us into the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador.
These are some of the most shark-rich waters of the world. Exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in there, was a risk for cast and crew.
Many countries are now banning shark finning due to its cruelty and waste, but Asians pay big money so poaching and the mafia type corruptions are at a huge level. No one cares that shark fins can contain very high levels of mercury, or that shark finning is to blame for the 80 per cent decline in global shark numbers. No one cares that some species of sharks are already protected because they are critically endangered.
When I recently approached Malta's KRS Film Distributors, I was informed by Charles Pace, that so far, Sharkwater had not been offered to them.
I contacted Tyler MacLeod who is the marketing director of Sharkwater Productions, and he in turn got me in contact with Rosa Riccelli at Dallangelo Pictures in Italy, who are the distributors for this region.
I passed on to Ms Riccelli the contact details for KRS Film Distributors.
A couple of days later I get an e-mail message from her and she informs me that KRS are not interested in bringing Sharkwater to Malta.
The reason given was that "theatrical documentary films are not popular in Malta".
I am sure that if Sharkwater is released in Malta, it would take in more than the average movie at the box office. People want to see these kinds of movies. People want to be educated and also need to be aware of current environmental issues. Why should we only get cheap films like Deep Blue Sea or the Shark Attack trilogy to keep putting sharks in a bad light, and then a classic like this is refused? I honestly hope that KRS would reconsider its situation and give the Maltese public the chance to view this movie which is destined to become a classic. Those readers that remember the masterpiece of 1971 Blue Water, White Death know exactly what I mean.
Sharks have been around for 400 million years. They outlived the dinosaurs, and global disasters, but now the predator has become the prey.
Unless something is done quickly, the next few years will see species becoming extinct. Mr Stewart and Sharkwater are delivering this message to the world. It is not humans that have to fear sharks, but sharks are in danger from human greed.
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Sonja Fordham
May 21st 2008, 00:11
We share “Sharkman” Alex Buttigieg’s disappointment at the news that the feature film, Sharkwater, will not be screened in Malta . We also agree with his assertion that we will start to lose shark species to over exploitation “unless something is done quickly.” In Europe, that something may finally be within our grasp.
While Sharkwater has exposed illegal finning off Costa Rica and Ecuador, few Europeans realize that the EU also plays a lead role in shark depletion. European demand for shark meat drives fisheries around the world, EU fishing vessels target threatened shark species, and the EU finning ban is the weakest in the world.
Hope lies with an EU shark action plan, currently in the works. The plan aims to address shark overfishing and strengthen the finning ban, but key elements face opposition from the fishing industry. Whether they can see Sharkwater on the big screen or not, citizens of Malta can be part of the solution by telling their Fisheries Minister to push for a strong shark plan. With its own house in order, the EU will have better footing to improve international shark conservation policies.
Sonja Fordham
Policy Director
Shark Alliance
Alex Buttigieg
May 20th 2008, 07:22
Thanks to everyone showing support. I have set up a petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/457747297
Please sign and pass it on.
Thank you
Alex Buttigieg,
Sharkman's World Organisation,
San Ġwann
DINO GALETOVIC
May 19th 2008, 23:35
SHAME ON YOU K.R.S.!!! CONSIDERING THE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF SHARKWATER IN A COUNTRY LIKE MALTA,WITH ALL ITS DIVING SCHOOLS AND HOLIDAY DIVERS... AT LEAST THINK OF THE REVENUE IT CAN BRING BACK !!! DON'T THINK ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF KIDS THAT WANT TO WATCH THE MOVIE AND LEARN ABOUT SHARKS AND THE THE MARINE ENVIROMENT...AND HOW TO GO ABOUT TRYING TO SAVE IT. FILMS LIKE THIS ARE HARD TO COME BY,SO COME ON,BRING IT TO THE SCREENS IN MALT.,
Adrian Buttigieg
May 19th 2008, 20:16
What a shame not to show this movie.It should be seen by everybody and schools should organise showing this movie to all students.
lucia sapienza
May 19th 2008, 18:19
i was so excited when i watched this movie.. finally someone cares about sharks!! i thought i cant wait till it reaches malta and everyone can stop being so ignorant towards sharks and krs wont have it what a joke please do your part and sign this or check it out on youtube!!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/769363037
A. Agius
May 19th 2008, 17:49
It is a shame that KRS are not interested to screen this movie.
victor pulis
May 19th 2008, 16:22
to all those who are interested in shark welfare I suggest they enter youtube to get a taste of this incredible film which KRS in all their wisdom are denying us. They were quick to release Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3 and I think there was also a Jaws 4! so long as its the sharks who are pictured as the villains it's ok. now that a film has been made showing who is the real savage we are not allowed to see it. this is censorship at its worse.
Christian Abdilla
May 19th 2008, 15:46
Well said Alex ! It may not a 'The Fast and the Furious' film or an 'American Pie' movie but KRS will surely do no harm in screening this documentary and I have the feeling that they will be pleasantly surprised with the turnout if they decide to take the risk.
Many people view sharks as the horror fish of the deep but will be surprised to learn that many species are being decimated daily to satisfy the demand for some gelatinous blobs in an oriental soup.
anyways, there is always Play.com available and most of the times buying a DVD from there turns out to be cheaper than going to the cinema.
A real pity that such a golden opportunity to show what really goes on under the water has been missed !!
Joe Tabone-Adami
May 19th 2008, 15:32
I presume "Sharkwater" has no sex, no violence, no cheap jokes, no car chases, no diva names, and no other such things which make cinema popular locally. How on earth do you expect KRS to show the film here??!!
t borg
May 19th 2008, 14:23
Here we mostly get americanised (mostly stupid) films, if you want to see something proper you have few options; i) go to St James Cavalier or 2)travel away from these islands. Maybe this link could help http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/769363037
Please choose the reason of your report below: