Greenpeace has a long history of producing inventive films designed to shock people into understanding the importance of respecting and protecting the planet on which we live. This time, it was worked with Aardman, the creators of Wallace & Gromit, to create an animated short film that tells a tragic story about a family of sea turtles.
It’s a very relatable “human family” story about a trip home. The family has to take dad’s “scenic route” when the highway is closed. That route is clogged with plastic pollution, the effects of oil drilling and overfishing. They arrive home to find their neighbourhood desolated. Then disaster strikes. The film has a dire warning for human beings: Six out of seven sea turtles are threatened with extinction. We need sanctuaries across a third of the world’s oceans to keep turtles and other animals safe.
The campaign supports The UN’s Global Ocean Treaty, which is now in the final stages of negotiation. “Scientists have been clear: we need to protect at least a third of the world’s oceans for them to recover and to safeguard marine life,” Greenpeace stated.
“These sanctuaries would be totally off limits to destructive human activity, giving our oceans the space they need to recover and flourish.”
Characters in the film are voiced by Oscar-winning actors, Olivia Colman and Dame Helen Mirren, as well as Bella Ramsey from Game of Thrones, David Harbour from Stranger Things, Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter; comedian, Ahir Shah, and Giovanna Lancellotti.
The plight of sea turtles represents the suffering of our oceans as a whole
“Like the family in Turtle Journey, sea turtles in real life are under intense stress from destructive industries. Six out of the seven sea turtle species are threatened with extinction due to the pressures of multiple ocean threats,” Greenpeace stated in its blog. [Source: About Marine Turtles IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group]
“Sadly, it’s more than just turtles at risk. In fact, studies have shown that marine life is disappearing at twice the speed of life on land.” [Source: Smithsonian magazine: Ocean-Dwelling Species Are Disappearing Twice as Quickly as Land Animals]
“The story of this turtle family trying to get home in a damaged and changing ocean is a reality for so many marine creatures that are having their habitats destroyed by human activities. I hope this film inspires more people to take action to protect our oceans,” noted Olivia Coleman.
