Revolution (Rob Stewart, 2012): Canada

Rob Stewart, Documentarian, Director of Revolution and Sharkwater.

Revolution Reviewed by Grace Williamson at the Lobero, Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Having sat down with Director Rob Stewart prior to viewing this film, there was something different about this movie that struck me before I even saw it.  Stewart, who also directed Shark Water, talked about how he is not a fan of the average documentary, he said he loves action movies and marvel and comics and tells his stories in a way that mirror that type of cinema.   Stewart tells this story as an adventure, the audience is following him around the world to find answers and to see a part of the world few people get the chance to explore.

Sitting in what should have been a packed theater I fell into a trance of sorts, this film focuses on ocean acidification which basically means that the ocean is becoming more acidic (a rising pH level) and that is causing 100-1,000 species to go extinct daily; but there is another side of this film that focuses on the world youth fighting for a revolution.  “What the oceans do the terrestrial world will follow”.”

This was a very different documentary to say the least, while we watch the information be presented to us we are also seeing how Stewart made this film.  He is not only the director but the main character that we follow on his journey to enlighten the audience.  Facts and numbers are presented in a way that the audience can understand.

Stewart spends time explaining the degree of the destruction happening in his home land, Canada.  There is a protest he participates in the movie against the Canadian government which is also funding this movie, and because of this he lost a dramatic amount of funding.  The film focuses on ways to improve the destruction our world is facing but also throws amazing statistics and facts our way. With 75% of the worlds forests are gone due to deforestation, change needs to happen.

Stewart understands people in a different way than many directors do;  he explained it was very important to him to evoke change but not despair which often follows at the end of films that demand a great change to be made.  Before the credits roll there are examples of ways to help positively shape the world around us and it shows change that has come from his prior movie Sharkwater.  

“You say you want a Revolution, well you know we all want to change the world. “-The Beatles

“So humbled. Revolution won the Santa Barbara Film Fest “Social Justice Award for Doc Film”! The award celebrates film-makers who are challenging enviro, social, economic and political injustices around the globe. So honoured.”-Rob Stewart