People of the Sea
(1997)
A poignant investigation into the fragile balance of life in the north-west Atlantic, People of the Sea traces the long and intimate relationship between the inhabitants of Newfoundland and their surrounding ocean.
Enlisting the help of many top wildlife filmmakers this BBC and National Geographic co-production provides a detailed account of the crisis now facing the area’s marine population, and with it, the livelihoods of the local population. Shown as part of the BBC’s The Natural World strand and narrated by the State’s Chief Ecosystem Research Officer, Shane Mahoney, archive footage reveals the total reliance Newfoundlanders have had on fish stocks throughout history.
Exploring the modern state of the sea, stunning photography from award-winning cameramen Alastair MacEwen, Hugh Miles and Doug Allan shows the devastating effects, on both the human communities and ecosystems, of the collapse of the cod industry.
An impressive insight into the imminent extinction of the many of the region’s marine inhabitants, People of the Sea won the Conservation/ Environment category at Wildscreen, 1998.
Alastair MacEwen
