Ocean Pollution

Ocean pollution often takes the form of slow violence, marked by diffuse, transboundary processes that are difficult to trace. The films in this section take up this challenge as they make visible ocean pollution and its profound impacts on people’s lives. From oil spills to mercury poisoning, these stories represent the effects of ocean pollution on a deeply intimate level - while always prioritizing the agency and dignity of their collaborators. At the same time, they reveal complicities between industry and national governments, tracing strategic labors of evasion, confusion, and disavowal. As those responsible for ocean pollution avoid accountability, the burdens of ocean pollution continue to fall most heavily on coastal peoples. These films center the creativity and resourcefulness of people living with ocean pollution, without losing sight of the systemic injustices they face.