DEFEND, CONSERVE, PROTECT

Director
Stephen Amis
(THE 25TH REICH, THE BBQ)

Stars
Narrated by Dan Aykroyd

Though the title given to this very compact and driven documentary might sound more like a command you’d hear from an armed defence force, DEFEND, CONSERVE, PROTECT is firing an entirely different breed of warfare at us that is taking place on the waters of the Southern Ocean.

The crew members and eco-activists on board each of the four vessels that form marine conservation group, Sea Shepherd, take to the waters in search of a Japanese whaling ship called the Nisshin Maru, which is hunting Minke Whales. A David and Goliath type battle, their mission is to do everything within their power to deliberately sabotage the Nisshin Maru’s attempts to capture and kill this breed of whale. Though the Japanese claim that this is being carried out in the name of science and research, their activities are continuously breaking international law and have been widely discredited for several years. Largely filmed via cameras and go-pros fitted to each vessel, DEFEND, CONSERVE, PROTECT chronicles this four month campaign, led by Captain Peter Hammarstedt (pictured below).

DCP 7 Peter Hammerstadt (1)
Before we can holistically understand and truly appreciate just what these volunteers do and why they do it, we need to possess knowledge of the pivotal role in our ecosystem that whales fulfil. Courtesy of Canadian-American marine wildlife conservation and environmental activist Paul Watson, who is also the founder of Sea Shepherd, we are verbally informed of this right at the beginning of the film. With this valuable information in hand, I was instantly able to gain admiration upon meeting these brave and determined volunteers on-screen, whose passion for their cause is palpable. Admiration amalgamates with apprehension, however, during some very tense times where the risks associated to this daring project become a reality. With its real footage and taut score, DEFEND, CONSERVE, PROTECT reminded me heavily of outstanding 2009 documentary feature, THE COVE.

140202-TW-Humpback-Breaching-048147 (1)
Though at times some important visual specifics weren’t as clear to me as they are to those witnessing what the cameras filmed first-hand, I always felt present watching this documentary. Heck, I even felt sea sick (or ocean sick) at one stage! Instead, I only wish that someone had thought to provide subtitles during scenes they would have definitely been beneficial to the viewer. Some critics might say that DEFEND, CONSERVE, PROTECT is rudimentary, but I feel its to-the-point and straightforward treatment keeps it entertaining and compact. Plus the poetically written narrative interludes voiced by Dan Aykroyd lends the film necessary moments of calm away from the unfolding storm.