Screenscope Films is marking Earth Day with the April 20, 2016 VOD release of the Matt Damon narrated documentary "Journey to Planet Earth: Dispatches From the Gulf." This film from the PBS television series "Journey" explores the ongoing impact of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster on the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. The titular messages, which have clever titles such as "mud and blood cruise" and "ginger snap cookies," provide the context for the study of said impact.
The following YouTube clip of the "Dispatches" trailer nicely introduces the subject matter and provides a good sense of the quality of the production.
The release day also marks the sixth anniversary of the aforementioned spill. The importance of this includes showing how some of the oil is still present and is affecting fish and other sea creatures who are a few generations past the ones who were living in the Gulf at the time of the accident.
Damon and the talking heads who conduct the research of which he speaks provide the combination of education and entertain that are elements of every good documentary, The spectacular coastal and underwater photography are special bonuses.
The more notable segments include a fishing trip for mahi mahi fish and footage of a literal voyage to the bottom of the sea. The former shows us the lasting effect of the oil on the fish population, and the latter illustrates the damage to coral.
The scope of "Dispatches" also touches on the impact of the spill on tourism and other indirect costs of this tragedy. It does not revisit the allegations against BP regarding the event itself and the handling of it.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Dispatches" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy,
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