Santa Barbara and the Sea (Chris Bell, 2012) USA

Reviewed by Tyler Rowland.  Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012.

As much as I like any nature piece focusing on a specific geographic area, this was a film that may not hold any weight or appeal to any person not familiar with Santa Barbara.  Filmmaker Chris Bell takes us on a relevant tour of the entire 13,000 year history of this biologically diverse region since  human inhabitation has occurred.  We are led from the Channel Islands, through the channel, and onto mainland.

Archival passages from diaries, and journals, letters, along with paintings representing the past all intertwine to tell the story of Santa Barbara.  Photos show the enterprising pioneers who made the Santa Barbara we know today, such as John P. Stearns and John J. Hollister.  Interviews with locals while exposing the natural scenery as a backdrop helps the audience visualize life from the mid-20th century up until present day.  These testimonies mark the noted change in practices, morals, and ethics of the community in regards to the sea, which it undeniably, but sometimes unknowingly effects the health and function of the local marine environment.  Factors they present us with are fishing, surfing, oil, and tourism industries.

As we look at the history of the area, .  This includes the finding of the oldest human remains in the Americas. to the more modern natives of the Chumash Tribe.   Then  the film focuses on even more recent history, with the arrival of the Spanish, and the westward expansion of the United States into California. All of this information, was of course, related to the relationship of the sea in conjunction with the area.

Once the film reaches modern times, the movie takes a drastic shift, from a look at the historical context, to the present day issues of environmental protection and conservation.  This is the reason the film was made and the reason it should be seen by those who live in the area.  Everything we do directly affects the waters here, and the only way to eliminate the ignorance of our actions is by raising awareness.  This was very relevant to other documentary films in the festival that I happened to see.  Dirty Energy takes a hard-hitting approach at the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Whore’s Glory examines life inside the prostitution industry, and West of Memphis exposes how three men may have served over 15 years in prison for something they did not do.  All of these take a very serious look at how different problems are handled in their respective societies.  Santa Barbara and the Sea takes a much lighter approach, but still gets the point across in terms of awareness, with pertinent information, but using the aesthetics of Santa Barbara as a relaxing stimuli, as opposed to oil soaked birds, prostitutes, and child killings.

To me, this film was very much a revisit to Oceanography 101.  Much of this information is available at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum located down by the marina. I love and appreciate what this film is trying to get across and it will probably be a staple for the museum of town for years to come.