Young Eco-Filmmaker Tries to Keep Sharks off the Menu

Little known fact:

the key ingredient in Preparation H hemorrhoid “medication” is shark liver oil.

Regular fact:

Shark populations have diminished by more than 90 percent in the past 50 years.

Rob Stewart – filmmaker, scientist, and affable guy – tells you this and much more in his documentary Sharkwater. It’s laced with pretty shark footage, some open-water showdowns (shark versus poacher) and colorful squabbles in shark markets across Asia.

Amidst this backdrop, Stewart tries to break down the public’s misconceptions about sharks.

Other filmmakers have shot shark films portraying the finned swimmers as admirable. This film is definitely my favorite though – perhaps because I’m such a fan of Stewart. At 28, the Toronto native was once called the Keanu Reeves of marine biologists.He’s easy on the eyes, adventurous, and he does avant-garde things for science; he’s paving the way to use more popular forms of media to bring conservation themes to young people.

(Is he single?)

Stewart spent five years filming his high-res marine documentary, which counters the web of anti-shark hysteria invoked by fear-mongererfilmmakers and the media. He distills the propaganda to its essential motivations: ratings and money.

Tell your favorite people about this film.

Stop looking for fins and start looking for Sharkwater.

.MGW.

~ by meagangwhite on March 15, 2008.