Chasing Thunder (2018) USA

This is one of the most suspenseful and entertaining documentaries I’ve seen at the festival. Hopefully you don’t get sea sick when the filmmakers bring you onboard as they document the longest illegal fishing vessel pursuit ever recorded. I’m not sure if the directors Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin knew the depth of this story as they agreed to hop onboard the two ships featured in this film the Bob Barker (captained by Peter Hamardstedt) and the Sam Simon (captained by Sid Chakravarty). The two ships are part of a bigger fleet operated and funded by conservationist (Sea Shepard) dedicated to protect wildlife. These ships and their crew face danger everyday as they hunt down illegal poaching vessels and bring them to justice in whatever manner they can.

The story starts when the Bob Barker comes across a very successful and notorious poaching vessel called Thunder. Being in international waters with no real official authority to commandeer the Thunder, the Bob Barker and its crew can only chase the Thunder to collect video and physical evidence of illegal fishing to eventually bring to Interpol. Once Interpol receives enough evidence they can then charge the owner and captain for poaching crimes. With the captain of the Thunder knowing the weight of the situation, he does everything he can think of to escape the Sea Shepards fleet. From weaving through ice beds to verbal threats to close collision the Bob Barker pursuit is relentless.

Throughout this 110 day chase across 10,000 miles of ocean, the raw hand held footage adds to the intensity of the situation and really brings a realization of the danger the crew faces. Without spoiling the film I will say it has a very suspenseful and satisfying ending. I really enjoyed watching this first hand documentary because not only was it highly entertaining but it also gave me an appreciation for the volunteers who are fighting a war on behalf of the ocean. 

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Chasing Thunder (2018) USA,” an entry on Student Film Reviews

Published:
02.20.18 / 8pm
Category:
Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2018