MAINTAINING GAIA

End of the Line is an independent documentary about international overfishing directed by Rupert Murray and based on a book of the same name by Charles Clover – think the BBC’s Deep Blue with an agenda.

Although it’s not a new film, it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was aired on British TV’s More4 in October, I‘ve only become aware of it recently when given a copy at work (the WWF was a funder).

It’s epic, eye opening, worrying and shot with incredible beauty; but I liked it most because although it’s a campaigning film, some of which can be very brash and unreserved, End of the Line was neither. It communicated its arguments with composition and its sources credible, the result was a film that really kept my attention and made me sincerely question the way I think about seafood.

Many of the issued raised in the film are those that I am focusing on with my work for the WWF in the South Pacific. The film covers the Coral Triangle which covers an area from the Philippines down to the north of Australia and across to the Cook Islands that is recognized as being the worlds most abundant marine area with biodiversity equal to that of the Amazon. I’m only new at the WWF so my understanding of the subjects is limited at the moment but issues such as livery fishing (the exporting of live fish for display in restaurant fish tanks) and tuna depletion that were in the film are areas this blog will feature in the future.

It’s a very powerful and enlightening film but one I would recommend just for its cinematography! The films is being screened in many countries and you can find out where on their site; http://endoftheline.com/screenings/.

I went down to the Photographers Gallery near Oxford Circus to see Open See the other day. The exhibition is by Magnum photojournalist Jim Goldberg and documents the experiences of people who travel from war torn, socially and economically devastated countries, to make new lives in Europe.

Jim has been travelling the world collecting these stories since 2003 and the exhibition displayed not only photographs but videos, written pieces and personal items collected along his travels. 

I am a HUGE fan of Jim Goldberg as his work is always very thought provoking and emotive. This exhibition really highlights some of the horrible experiences some people go through in their attempt to build themselves a new life in the West.

The title for the next photograph was, ‘I asked who wanted to go to Europe’ taken in Bangladesh

This next image was taken in 2007 and it shows a man who has just found a ‘rancid goat’ on a city dump in Bangladesh ‘to eat’. 

Below is titled Georgian girl who was trafficked by Russian Mafia

A lot of his work has been done on Polaroids. He would take someone’s picture then give it to them to write on, scratch and generally deface. Some of the text  has been translated at the exhibition; one that really stood out for me was this one.

Her story reads: 

In 2006 I read an advert in the newspaper that said waitress needed in Germany. I went to the agency and applied, they lent me 2000 Euros for the papers and bus ticket. When I arrived they took my papers and bought me .I was taken to an apartment and locked in a room with bars on the windows. I was ordered to give sex. I had 8-12 clients everyday. I had to have sex in sick ways. Some men would hurt me, smash my head against the wall, kicked, severally beaten. I couldn’t talk to anyone. One meal a day, 2-4 hours for sleeping.

One day the police came and I was deported home – broken and scarred .I have nightmares every night but I have told no one my story, not even my husband. I feel lucky to be alive – most girls like me don’t live to tell the story.

The exhibition runs until 17^th January 2010 and I would recommend it to everyone.

… and its free!

You can also see some of Jim’s other photographs on the Magnum website HERE, which incidentally is a Pandora’s box of mind blowing photography.