#seaspiracy is a Netflix documentary, about the Monstrous reality of the present day
Directed by young documentary filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, “Seaspiracy” combines rare footage, past media coverage and interviews with experts, activists and more to paint what is likely the most comprehensive look at the many problems facing our oceans today. From whaling to overfishing to the use of slave labor to meet demands, the film does not shy away from the harsh and often brutal realities of the process that delivers seafood to the plates of consumers across the globe.
Like in “Blackfish,” some of the footage is stomach-churning and can be hard to watch, especially considering the sheer numbers of animals involved. When you’re not just seeing packaged salmon at the grocery store but millions of diseased fish discarded back into the water as a natural hazard of the job, it makes witnessing these atrocities all the more essential. It’s a theme woven throughout the film: The lack of oversight and knowledge about the true realities of these fishing operations is what allows them to continue to act with almost complete impunity.
By simply becoming aware of the deadly and harmful practices taking place in our oceans, Tabrizi’s film argues the public is taking one huge step forward in being able to make fully informed decisions when it comes to seafood consumption. Tabrizi himself was threatened multiple times to stop recording at various fisheries across Asia during the production of the documentary and was even tailed by law enforcement.
Unlike some documentaries that offer a matter-of-fact perspective from the start, Tabrizi takes the audience with him as he travels around the world to learn the truth behind the human toll on the ocean. Because viewers are making these discoveries along with Tabrizi, feeling the shock and surprise along with him, the audience isn’t made to feel guilty for not knowing or for eating seafood in the past. Instead, “Seaspiracy” operates more as a collective learning opportunity, offering consumers more information than ever before to inform their decision-making when it comes to what to eat, who to support and what to care about regarding the ocean.
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