The sea can be a place of hope and dreams but also of despair and death.  Oscar-nominated director Skye Fitzgerald has created this powerful nine minute documentary for Sea-Watch about the dangerous plight facing refugees  attempting to cross the Mediterranean. 

At least six people still die every day fleeing across the Mediterranean. In 2018 alone, at least 2,277 people attempting to cross the sea were unable to reach dry land. As the work of civil sea rescue organisations is hampered, the proportion of deaths and missing persons in the Mediterranean has quadrupled since 2015. Alarmingly, 85 per cent of Germans are not even aware of the extent of this crisis, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Sea-Watch.

Michael Schwickart of Sea-Watch explains: »When we started civil sea rescue in 2015, the mood in Germany was different. A few years later, the willingness to help and support has faded. But even in 2019, the Mediterranean remains the deadliest border in the world.”

Called Lifeboat – The Experiment, the film allowed 40 volunteers to experience a simulated Mediterranean crossing in a rubber dinghy, which was developed together with five refugees who had survived Mediterranean sea crossings and  told of their experiences and impressions. Based on the first hand accounts of these traumatic experiences, the simulation was designed to be as realistic as possible.

The result is a a film that caused the participants to re-evaluate their views of immigrants attempting dangerous sea crossings.

The support for this cause is still quite limited and the topic has not been at the centre of the news cycle recently. With Lifeboat – The Experiment, Sea-Watch intentionally chose a different way of creating attention and reigniting the conversation around the lives lost at sea on a daily basis.”

To find out more please do visit www.lifeboatexperiment.org

#refugeeswelcome

The post Sea Watch – The Experiment appeared first on PANTHALASSA.

The post New Film: Remember the Fish appeared first on PANTHALASSA.

Panthalassa is thrilled to announce its latest short film made in collaboration with Oceana aimed at warning consumers against buying and eating baby fish. We booked a fight to Los Angeles and spent a few days with Spanish Hollywood actor Miguel Angel Silvestre.

Actor recognized in Spain and increasingly abroad, Miguel Angel has starred in and served on numerous television series. Most recently, he made ​​the move to the big screen with a number of films whose success has proven its worth and recognition in the Spanish art scene.

It has grown compared to the Miguel Angel, and their recent experiences and interests have allowed him to discover the wonderful world that lies beneath the waves and waves of the sea. For Miguel Angel, the most important thing was to know of the existence of all the wealth hidden in the oceans and protect knowledge. »I am concerned to see how even seas resources so close to us as the Mediterranean are exhausted without taking the most basic measures to ensure its future,« said Miguel Angel Silvestre, in his first act in support of Oceana, »without management there can be no sustainability, and without sustainability there is no future for fishing or for our oceans.«

Miguel Angel quickly realized the important role of each and every one of the species that inhabit the oceans. The disappearance of one represents a breakdown in the balance of the oceans, which can cause a whole chain of consequences that affect men too.

Read more infos about Oceana Europe campaign against overfishing.

The post Buying fish with Miguel Angel Silvestre appeared first on PANTHALASSA.

The film “Into the North” is a project commissioned by Oceana the world’s biggest organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans.

We joined Oceana and its team of marine biologists on its first North Sea expedition. On board of the Neptune, we soon learned that the North Sea isn’t any longer the paradise for whales, plankton and seabirds it used to be. 

“Into the North” is a visual ode to the North Sea, the men and women working under extreme conditions to study and protect our oceans, but most importantly, it’s about the very cause that is turning our seas into deserts: overfishing.

« Shooting in the open sea is always a challenging experience. We faced severe climatic conditions» says creative director and Panthalassa founder Sergio Penzo. «We tried to stick to our storyboard, but, sometimes, we had the feeling that the weather was the real director calling the shots. We faced some of the most challenging weather conditions a filmmaker can experience, but that didn’t stop us from telling the story of these passionate individuals who work so hard to protect our oceans. »

The two-minute film which also features pro-surfer Aritz Aranburu and Spanish model Almudena Fernandez, is the official kick-off for the “Stop-Overfishing” campaign. An initiative launched by the NGO Oceana Europe to create awareness for the biggest threat to the health of our ocean.

Photos by 

Pierre David & Sarah Arnould / Panthalassa Society

The post Into the North – A film by Panthalassa appeared first on PANTHALASSA.

Our life is determined by the tides and the sea.

Panthalassa is delighted to present its very first short film directed by Douglas Guillot tending to show the close relationship between ocean and the culinary world.

Joel Dupuch is not only one of the most famous oyster farmers of our times but also a renowned actor playing alongside talented artists like actress Marion Cotillard. In 2006, he took his first steps into the world of cinema thanks to the movie entitled “Tell No One” produced by Luc Besson. In 2010, Joel Dupuch made a noticeable and touching appearance in the French comedy-drama “Little White Lies”, directed by Guillaume Canet.

Today, after performances in successful movies and television series and succumbing to the temptation of becoming an actor loved by the audience, he divides his life between his restaurant in Bordeaux and his oyster farm in Lège-Cap Ferret.

We spent some days in his small village “Les Jacquets” in the Arcachon Bay, talking about farmed oysters as the most sustainable fishery. Oysters don’t need chemicals and act as filter feeders, filtering the plankton and organic matter, and improving water quality. With a low impact on the environment, oysters seem to be an incredible ocean-friendly seafood option. Described as »Superfood of the sea«, oysters are nutritious, full of multivitamins and minerals.

Through the portrait of Joel Dupuch, an Epicurean strongly attached to the products’ value, we are proud to officially launch our series of episodes about the alliance between the ocean and the comestible art.

In our second short film (in the making), we will meet Andoni Luiz Aduriz, Chef at the Michellin-starred Mugaritz restaurant in San Sebastian, considered as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world.  And we will explore the divine triangle between the ocean, gastronomy and creativity.

Photography Series by Sarah Arnould. Leica, Analogue.

The post Monsieur Oyster – by Panthalassa appeared first on PANTHALASSA.

Three of the world’s best Chefs came together for the premiere

Three star Michelin chefs Andoni Luis Aduriz Mugaritz, Juan Mari Arzak Arzak and Pedro Subijana Akelarre came together for the premiere of Sea Legend, a short film about the decline of large ocean predators.

»There has been a radical change in gastronomy towards environmental awareness.  As cuisine artisans, we value ingredients coming from the sea.  Therefore we do everything in our power to communicate and pass on our love for the ocean«, said Andoni Luis Aduriz, one of the most influential chefs of our times.

The tuna – in which Sea Legend is inspired, sharks and swordfish are disappearing : we’ve fished 90% of them in recent decades but the good news is that the sea can recover if you act in time, that is what this story is all about.

Supporting the film is a wonderful web special designed by Salon91.  The task was to create a suitable digital stage on which the the trailer and background information about the majestic Bluefin Tuna is presented online.  »We wanted a website that reflected the mood of the film.  Quiet, cinematic images mixed with information and facts«, says Sergio Penzo, creative director of Panthalassa.

Before the film reaches the audience on cinemas and television in 2015 it will be premiered in different cities and venues, including New York and Hamburg’s 25 hours Hotel.

The project by Panthalassa and Andreas Roth for the NGO Oceana is supported by celebrities such as Alexandra Cousteau, Ted Danson & Ridley Scott.

»Sea Legend is a powerful and mature piece of filmmaking.« 
Ridley Scott, Director

Link to website:

www.sealegendfilm.org

The post The Premiere in San Sebastian appeared first on PANTHALASSA.