Tribeca Film Festival 2019: WATSON: The Embodiment Of Change, Resilience & Strength

To be honest, when Watson began, I wasn’t entirely sure this was a documentary I would love. The violence showcased in the beginning, while necessary, was as blunt as its subject matter, hard to watch and painful to process. Yet, as the story of Captain Paul Watson and his courageous attempts to conserve the marine wildlife throughout the world unfolds, his story and cause are mesmerizingly captured on screen, each mission, each save layering on one another, delivering a well timed out film and a perfectly encapsulated message.

Paul Watson: Conservationist or Pirate – aka Marine Terrorist?

Since the 1960s, Captain Paul Watson has been manning the seas, stopping illegal and horrific treatments of animals and their habitats, preserving their way of life and the life of the earth. Now labeled a marine terrorist by various countries, he is forced, yet undertakes willingly, to continue his cause from a computer desk, the branches of his mission running in his place. What started as the voice of one has become the voice of many. The Sea Shepard, an organization he started after being forced out of Greenpeace, has grown from one sea vessel to 13 – the largest private navy in the world. While the risk of capture for his “crimes” leaves him beached, his heart is still with the ocean and its animals, his passion still alive.

A Co-founder of Greenpeace, Paul Watson has placed himself on the front lives of wildlife conservation for decades, fighting for those whose plights have no voice. Unafraid to stand in front of a shipping vessel to prevent clubbing season for the furs of seals in Nova Scotia to chasing down vessels, driving them inland for justice, Watson fights for what he believes. While his vision differed from Greenpeace, eventually leading to his departure, he would push forward creating the Sea Shepard – a vessel that would be more than a nuisance to those who dared to fish illegally. With his rotating crew of volunteers, Watson has lead them into “battle” preventing those from profiting from the weak – including whales, seals and sharks.

Though does this make him a marine terrorist? Is it wrong for him to stop these illegal deals throughout the oceans? No. Though others feel his pronounced call to justice, his melding in illegal profits makes him as such. It is interesting that the one protecting is seem by some as the criminal, while their grievances are the loss of profits from illegal trades and acquisitions. Yes, over the years there have been some run ins and situations that might have been handled differently, but they were not without warning – warning that he was coming and warning of what would happen if they (illegal fishing boats) did not comply. And we are not talking pirates with canons sinking ships, we are talking about what illegal ships will do to escape justice. And in comparison, Watson actions are far less life threatening, marine life and human, than the ones that have been bestowed upon him in return.

No, in my opinion he is not a terrorist. He a man fighting for what he thinks is right, not for what he feels he is entitled to, but is right.

Director Lesley Chilcott effectively captures the spirit and resilience of Watson, interlacing not only archival footage with his one on one interview, but also evidential footage of the interactions the Sea Shepard has with illegal fisherman. Highly documented and beautifully compiled, this is a documentary where you feel as though you know and understand Watson by the end, that you have been give the opportunity to have a glimpse of true fighting spirit – both on sea and in present time.

While some of this footage Chilcott has chosen to showcase is brutal, it is vital. Ignorance is the most detrimental aspect of humanity that spreads doom for the planet and its inhabitants, and power to those who seek to corrupt its beauty. I found myself wanting to look away, but willing myself to watch. This is really happening in the world and the documentary gives us a chance to be witnesses, encourage change and continue the story.

The Success of a Documentary

What makes a documentary successful? The subject matter? Camera angles? Willingness to capture the moment at any cost? For me, it is not just the technicals of documentary or the means by which the subject matter was handled, but rather the effectiveness the film leaves behind – especially ones as informative as this one. Watson, as mentioned earlier, is a hard watch, though a necessary one. While documentaries do not necessarily begin with the goal of changing minds, there is a bias behind the camera that leans in a direction they are attempting to showcase. So at the end of the day, did they change your mind? Did they make you at least consider another side?

Before watching Watson, I am ashamed to admit that Shark Fin soup has been a must eat delicacy on my bucket list for some time. Now, it is the last thing I ever want to eat. The means by which the fins are obtained is a crime against the animal kingdom and one of the most shameful behaviors I have seen mankind commit. To obtain these prized fins, which pay a fairly high price, fishermen will cut off all the fins and throw the shark back into the water. Without their fins, they sink to the bottom, eventually drowning or starving. Why not use the entire shark? Because the rest of the shark meat is not worth nearly as much as the fins. Why fill a cooler with the meat of an entire shark, when instead you can fill it with just the fins and make more money?

And don’t even get me started on the Tuna – Japan I am looking at you.

Watson is one of those films whose fearlessness of showcasing exactly what is happening leads to knowledge in the face of ignorance and change in the face of opposition. I am just one individual who can speak to the new mindset I have found myself accepting following my screening, and I feel there are many others out there that will be as touched by the film as I have.

Watson: Conclusion

This year has already begun to be a standout in the documentary department, and with Watson, it shows no signs of slowing down. With the accessibility of information and an increased willingness to embrace the world of documentaries, more information can be relayed than ever before and more voices can be heard – even the ones that cannot speak for themselves. Watson is a vital showcase of the power a person can have to affect change and how far reaching that change can be to others. I hope this is a film that gets the chance to reach its audience and beyond, rather than crashing on the shore only to brought back out to sea with the current.

Watson was released at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2019.