Barnes swims with a great hammerhead. (Contributed)

Barnes swims with a great hammerhead. (Contributed)

Award-winning film Sea of Life screening in Maple Ridge

Filmmaker documents the health of marine ecosystems around the world

Cinema Politica Ridge Meadows will be screening the award winning film Sea of Life by filmmaker Julia Barnes.

The film documents the destruction of the world’s oceans while capturing the most breathtaking underwater cinematography.

Barnes was only 16 years old when she watched Rob Stewart’s documentary, called Revolution, that captured some of the most remarkable wildlife spectacles ever recorded to show that sharks are not the only species on earth in jeopardy, but the human race.

Barnes discovered by watching the film that the world’s coral reefs, rain forests and fisheries are expected to disappear within her lifetime and spurred her into making a film of her own.

She bought a couple of cameras and learned how to dive and set out on a mission to expose the biggest threats she believes are facing the oceans.

Sea of Life was filmed over three years in seven countries and shows some the most spectacular and threatened ecosystems in the world, exposing the destruction that’s happening and efforts to stop it.

“This is such a timely film since there has been so much news on the declining health of our oceans recently and the impact we as a species are having on marine ecosystems and all forms of life in the oceans,” said Oosha Ramsoondar with Cinema Politica Ridge Meadows.

After the movie, there will be a panel of guest speakers on the issue.

• Sea of Life will be screened free at 6:30 p.m. on May 3 at Maple Ridge council chambers, 11995 Haney Place.

The movie is suitable for all ages. For more information, call 604-466-3144 or email ridgemeadows@cinemapolitica.org.

Maple Ridge News