What initially tugged at my heartstrings was the mere sight of the vaquita whale, the smallest of its species, endowed with a smile permanently etched on its ghostly face.
Scott Salinas (“ A Private War”) consistently intrudes upon the action, amplifying the dread during already tense moments and accompanying the platitudes expressed by interview subjects with touchy-feely melodies. The names of various locations are identified in lettering that fills the screen, while the score by H. What they tell us is inherently alarming, yet it’s a shame that such crimes aren’t conveyed in a more visually compelling way.įor its first half or so, Ladkani’s film takes the form of an environmental PSA laced with genre tropes.
Out of shadows documentary vimeo series#
Then we are presented with a series of title cards, laying out the premise in PowerPoint-style bullet points that are the very antithesis of cinematic language. The fact that the film never quite circles back to this particular event makes it even more of an anomaly. The pre-title sequence featuring a confrontation between illegal fishermen and the heroic marine conservation vessel Sea Shepherd reeks of such manufactured unease that it could’ve been pulled from any peril-at-sea blockbuster.
Richard Ladkani’s “Sea of Shadows” appears to have connected with viewers, as evidenced by the Audience Award it garnered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, yet to my eyes, its opening moments did not hold much promise.
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