Synopsis
It’s the most critical time in our world’s history – where humans are at war with each other trying to protect and conserve the planet’s natural resources, or consume them at an alarming rate. There is one battle that stands out above the rest, which may ultimately decide the winner.
Set far from the world’s eyes in Antarctica, the most inhospitable environment on Earth, there is a complete unwillingness to back down on both sides. On one hand the Japanese so-called “Research” fleet are openly commercially harvesting thousands of whales in the world’s only international whale sanctuary. On the other hand, the Sea Shepherd, a volunteer guerrilla Navy funded by the citizens of the world. It is without question the most significant environmental battle of our time.
Photographed from four vastly different points of view – including the SEA SHEPHERD hell bent on stopping the needless slaughter of these beautiful ocean mammals; migratory WHALE PODS heading South to Antarctica; two J-POP CELEBRITIES searching for Japanese political truth; and a WHALE CONSERVATION TEAM determined to tag and track the whales: DEFEND – CONSERVE – PROTECT, is a documentary photographed in the most pristine and ferocious places on Earth. We aim to get up close and personal with these incredible migratory animals as they mate and breed on the Great Barrier Reef, and audiences will watch with awe, horror and empathy, as they swim South on an impending collision course with man.
The striking images of ships colliding, whales being needlessly killed, and people standing up for what they believe in, will create enormous audience sympathy for our ocean brethren in this larger than life documentary. But it is more than just a battle on the high seas – the film is also an exploration of the definitive history and importance of Sea Shepherd, global marine activism, and the importance of pulling the world’s oceans and ecosystems back from the brink. Featuring interviews with pop culture icons, scientists and politicians – both from Japan and around the world - DEFEND – CONSERVE – PROTECT, is a rally cry to people across the planet to stand up and fight for what they believe in.
In a time when we are losing vast amounts of species to extinction through our own actions, DEFEND – CONSERVE – PROTECT, will appeal to everyone, regardless of which side of the fence they are on, and will take audiences on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.