A world without fish? Though it might seem like a left-field concept to some, it’s important that we don’t forget that dinosaurs, dodos and other creatures that once roamed freely about our lands have long since died out. Top scientists now warn that our seas face a similar catastrophe thanks to a rise in ocean acidification. A Sea Change is a new, hard-hitting documentary that draws public attention to this urgent but little-known crisis threatening over 1,000,000 species with extinctionâ€”and with them, our entire way of life.





The documentary follows retired educator (and concerned grandfather) Sven Huseby on a journey back to stunning ancestral sites in Norway, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. There he finds cutting-edge ocean research underway. His journey of self-discovery brings adventure, surprise and revelation to the science of ocean acidification.

World Premiere at the DC Environmental Film Festival

The world premiere at the D.C. Environmental Film Festival brought in record-breaking audiences. D.C.’s BairdÂ Auditorium where it was held, filled all 565 seats, with another 40 people who stood and 150 who couldn’t get in at all. (See NBC4 Anchor Wendy Rieger’s blog about how happy she was to not get a seat.) Director Barbara Ettinger and co-producer/protagonist Sven Huseby were received with a standing ovation following the screening. And two-thirds of the audience stayed for the Q&A, moderated by Brad Warren, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.

The Washington Post said that the movie calls for some tough love on the part of even the most sympathetic viewer:

“A Sea Change,” which was co-produced by Huseby and directed by Barbara Ettinger, looks terrific, with lots of breathtaking footage of the natural world, from the tiniest pteropod (the fluttery, planktonic sea snail that is most threatened by acidification) to the most majestic Norwegian scenery. And, at a time when plenty of documentaries want to be the “ Inconvenient Truth ” of fill-in-the-issue, “A Sea Change” brings a genuinely important subject to the fore with a welcome lack of jargon and preaching.”

Here’s the movie trailer and a rundown of upcoming public screenings:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_urb-mr_-8

APRIL

Earth Day Eve at National Constitution Hall in Philadelphia

at in Philadelphia West Coast premiere of A Sea Change at the San Francisco International Film Festival , three screenings; April 25, April 27, and April 30. (For details please visit the festival website , beginning March 31.)

JUNE

Image credit: A Sea Change