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- 2019
- Not Rated
- Freestyle Digital Media
- 1 h 25 m
- 2019
- Not Rated
- Freestyle Digital Media
- 1 h 25 m
Summary Discovering that sharks are being hunted to extinction, and with them the destruction of our life support system - activist and filmmaker Rob Stewart embarks on a dangerous quest to stop the slaughter. Following the sharks - and the money - into the elusive pirate fishing industry, Stewart uncovers a multi-billion dollar scandal that mak...
Directed By: Rob Stewart
Written By: Rob Stewart
- 2019
- Not Rated
- Freestyle Digital Media
- 1 h 25 m
- 2019
- Not Rated
- Freestyle Digital Media
- 1 h 25 m
Sharkwater Extinction
76
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Discovering that sharks are being hunted to extinction, and with them the destruction of our life support system - activist and filmmaker Rob Stewart embarks on a dangerous quest to stop the slaughter. Following the sharks - and the money - into the elusive pirate fishing industry, Stewart uncovers a multi-billion dollar scandal that mak...
Directed By: Rob Stewart
Written By: Rob Stewart
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
76
100% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
76
100% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
In Sharkwater Extinction, we also get a glimpse of the sanguine approach Stewart brought to coming face-to-face with the extermination of the creatures he loves.
An urgent and moving plea for action against the illegal trade in shark fins and more generally for the conservation of marine life in our rapidly dirtier and emptier oceans.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 User Ratings
7.8
75% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
13% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 User Ratings
7.8
75% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
13% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Such a heartfelt movie. It pulls your heart out of your chest and stomps on it, then picks it up, dusts it off and hands it back to you. The underwater filming is so gorgeous, and I really like the music.
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Incredible movie, it's not just a documentary. It's exciting and action-packed. You won't be able to take your eyes off the screen. Very moving as well, especially at the end when Rob goes missing. Tragic.
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It is both inspiring and beautiful and makes an even stronger case for protecting shark since Sharkwater. The message is heavy-handed, but his visual images are stunning to soften the blow.
Stewart believed people would rally to the shark cause if only they knew the gravity of the situation. The film is now made, the word is out and Stewart more than did his part.
There's a scattershot quality to the proceedings, presumably caused by the Canadian writer-director not living long enough to complete the doc. But the individual segments register powerfully and the underwater sequences are beautifully shot, providing ample compensation for the narrative choppiness.
Stewart recounts how he thought that if his films could make people love these animals, he could push popular opinion against their being hunted. He doesn’t quite pull this off here, despite impressive footage of him swimming with sharks. He does, however, convince us that these superpredators are important to oceanic ecosystems and that because they are so indiscriminate in their eating habits, they are full of toxins.
A testament to its maker’s staunch belief in the cause of shark preservation, it’s a plea for transparency and conservation whose gorgeous 4K cinematography should make it an enticing proposition for nonfiction cinephiles and activists alike.
Shakwater Extinction is one of the best documentaries where sharks are the victims. Rob, the real life hero who gave his life to save the Sharks for this world and delivers an important message and changes the way you see the oceans. Its underwater photography is breathtaking. Really a Beautiful film from a beautiful soul. I would also appreciate Rob's parents (Sandy and Brian) and Team Sharkwater who worked tirelessly to complete and release this movie after Rob's death. -Shariq
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Fantastic, Beautiful, Moving, Thought Provoking! All good things! Sharkwater Extinction gives me hope for an environmentally sustainable future. As long as consumers are aware of what's happening in the oceans, they will stop it. SW sends the message we all need to hear. 10/10
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Ocean conservationist, Rob Stewart, delivers an unprecedented look into the global decimation of the ocean’s top predator, the shark. Stewart opens Sharkwater Extinction in spectacular fashion with exquisite underwater cinematography showcasing the innate beauty of what lies below the ocean’s surface. A voice-over narrator informs the viewer of the massive amount of shark being stripped from the planet’s aquatic ecosystem. Stewart suggests that in the last 30 years sharks have been hunted losing 90% of their population. Moreover, 150 million sharks are killed every year with scientists only accounting for 70-80 million with the rest being killed, more than likely, by poachers. Sharkwater Extinction is a follow-up from Stewart’s 2006 film Sharkwater. Sharkwater brought to the public’s consciousness the global shark epidemic created by the demand for a Chinese delicacy, Sharkfin Soup.
According to testimonials in Sharkwater Extinction, shark meat is the most toxic of fish meat as they are at the top of the predatory food chain. Nevertheless, shark meat has made its way into the world’s food supply chain often being labeled as flake or blackfish among other names. In addition, shark meat was found in pet foods and in cosmetics. Sharks and shark fins are a high-dollar commodity and, with the Costa Rican government turning a blind eye, the industry is booming. With an investigative reporter’s acumen, Stewart discovers a large number of fins are shipped, flown and stored in Costa Rica by a well-connected businessman who purportedly owns hotels, restaurants, docks, and boats. In addition, global mafia players use Costa Rica as a shipping hub much like a UPS or Fed Ex facility. Stewart also visits Panama, Miami and Los Angeles (Santa Monica Bay). Interestingly, Stewart shoots footage of a shark facility in Panama where a worker informs Stewart of shark fins to sell for $5 and shark meat for fifty cents a pound. By the time the fin reaches mainland China the fin has a retail value of $200.
I especially liked the opening scene of Sharkwater Extinction as we see a diver, Rob Stewart, the film’s leading character, scuba diving with fish and sharks in a beautifully composed shot – and there are many more exquisitely filmed underwater scenes. I also liked the testimonials from Stewart as he periodically directly addressed the camera on the situation in several regions around the globe beginning with Costa Rica. Moreover, I appreciated his informative approach as the Costa Rican government decides to no longer support the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), thereby allowing international cargo air shipments to resume further decimating the planet’s shark population.
Shockingly, Stewart perishes in a diving mishap off the Florida Keys before the completion of Sharkwater Extinction. Nevertheless, Stewart delivers a hopeful message that we as a global force can right the ship and keep the 400-450-million-year-old top predator in existence continuing its role in safeguarding and keeping balance in the ocean’s delicate eco-system. Stewart cites the rapid response from young activists in expanding shark protections after his 2006 Sharkwater and the implementation from governments around the globe in enacting legislation to protect the world’s top predator. Unfortunately, the protections are no longer being fully enforced as the short-term economic benefits have clouded any longer-term visions. Through Sharkwater Extinction, Rob Stewart’s voice lives on. Highly recommended viewing!
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Production Company
Sharkwater Productions
Release Date Mar 1, 2019
Duration 1 h 25 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline Every year 150 million sharks go missing... where they end up will shock you.
Awards
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Golden Trailer Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Directors Guild of Canada
• 1 Nomination
