Atelier Aquatic - Art on Barton

Paint for a Purpose

#paintforapurpose

This documentary is released as part of the celebrations of World Oceans Day

#WorldOceansDay

Written, Directed, Filmed and Edited by Matt James

Aerial cinematography by Matang Lawin

Narrated by James Threlfall

Score by Benjamin Langham

"Meet me in Paradise" Song Written and recorded by Sheena Sabuya

CGI by Luke Urbani

Art on Barton tells the story of art for awareness, a creative solution to marine conservation based on the inspiration of the natural world.

The Philippines is situated within the Coral Triangle, an area in the Western Pacific Ocean, and named for its staggering amount of coral reefs and marine life.

Our planet is at risk from climate change, pollution, over-fishing and a number of other problems, but this area of our planet is home to an ecosystem that our oceans rely on for their health.

In December I embarked on the biggest journey I have ever undertaken, and I could not be happier to show you the fruits of my labour. This documentary was created in collaboration with Atelier Aquatic, a fantastic CIC who are dedicated to creative solutions that engage communities in marine life education and conservation.

They were kind enough to not only host me during my stay in Palawan, Philippines, but to teach me about the incredible biodiversity of the area, the challenges it is facing currently, and to introduce me to the inspiring community that are trying to make a positive change.

This film is just a fraction of the whole story of this wonderful place, and there are so many more incredible stories and initiatives happening all over the world that are aiming to combat the negative impact we are having on this planet.
For this reason, I chose World Ocean Day to release this piece, as this year their focus could not be more relevant to our film.

The 2020 focus is uniting conservation action to grow the global movement calling on world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. This critical need is called 30x30. By safeguarding at least 30% of our land and ocean through a network of highly protected areas we can help ensure a healthy home for all.

Since the making of this film, Covid-19 has put a pause on tourism as we know it. This gives the Earth a well-deserved rest and the industry a chance to take a breath, reflect, and review best practise.

This way, in the future we can implement a more sustainable approach to marine tourism, for the benefit of both people and marine life.

Please help us share this video with the world. We must safeguard our natural world before we lose it.