Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral is a remarkable and powerful feature-length documentary that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. This illustrious attempt is directed by Jeff Orlowski, who previously helmed the award-winning documentary, Chasing Ice. This poignant, visually stunning film brings forward the devastation that climate change wreaks on the fragile underwater ecosystems of coral reefs. The film features Andrew Ackerman, Pim Bongaerts, and Neal Cantin among notable scientists and photographers.

Chasing Coral presents a team of researchers and divers in their pursuit to unveil the mysterious and alarming phenomenon of coral bleaching. The film is centered around Richard Vevers, a former advertising executive, with a profound love for oceanic beauty, who has dedicated himself to the mission of preserving coral reefs. With a mélange of personal devotion and professional expertise, Vevers puts together a team, including underwater photographer, Andrew Ackerman, marine biologist, Pim Bongaerts, and coral researcher, Neal Cantin.

One of the absolute highlights of this documentary is its ability to present intricate scientific facts in the most understandable and engaging manner. The researchers’ cause, perseverance, and passion for saving the endangered coral reefs turn Chasing Coral into more than just an educational experience; it transforms into an emotional journey that touches and awakens audiences globally.

Throughout the film, the camera shines a light on the vibrant, colorful world beneath the water's surface. This world is autonomous, beautiful, and peopled by a stunning variety of fish, corals, crustaceans, and other aquatic life forms. However, as the film progresses, this underwater paradise is contrasted starkly with the haunting images of bleached-white, dying coral reef systems. Viewers are continually reminded of the existential risks posed by human-induced climate change.

The team uses advanced underwater cameras and time-lapse photography to record the coral bleaching events in real-time over several months. It's a technological masterpiece, managing to capture something that is incredibly difficult to keep track of in the wild, magnificent ocean – showing viewers the rapid, devastating effects of rising ocean temperatures on coral reefs.

The film, while it offers a cautionary tale about the effects of climate change, also provides hope and inspiration. It proposes that mankind, in its technological brilliance, could offer solutions. In an interesting, engaging, and visually captivating style, Chasing Coral highlights the potential the future holds and the urgent need to act to save the world’s coral reefs.

The documentary has been created in a style that magnetizes both younger audiences and adults through its hauntingly beautiful visuals and emotive narrative. It carries an earnestness and urgency that compels viewers to not only care about the coral reefs but, furthermore, to actively engage in taking deliberate steps towards conserving them.

In Chasing Coral, director Jeff Orlowski moves beyond just enlightening audiences with stark scientific facts about the declining health of the world's coral reefs. The film takes viewers on a heart-wrenching journey that transforms a somewhat specialized and scientific topic into an issue of universal concern, putting a human face to the calamity of coral bleaching. This makes the documentary a powerful, emotionally-charged catalyst for change, inspiring viewers to appreciate the complexity, beauty, and importance of coral reef ecosystems while urging them to act on climate change.

In conclusion, Chasing Coral is more than just a documentary; it is a call to action. By beautifully displaying the delicate, vibrant, and intricate world of coral reefs, the film opens our eyes to the tragic reality of their destruction due to climate change. We are reminded of the need to respect, care for, and preserve our environment - not least for the sake of our magnificent oceans and the life within them. The passion, the devotion, the years of commitment embodied by the protagonists of the film serve as an emblem of hope, suggesting that it is always worth fighting for what you love. And in this case, what you love also happens to be a crucial and irreplaceable part of our planet.