Thoughts on Seaspiracy

[Jebus]

I thought it was the best "vegan movie" ever released. Shocking and compelling. What are your thoughts?

[joji]

Good movie, gave me a much broader understanding of problems with the fishing industry. I have some issues on how it was presented though, as though it was some sort of personal journey and discovery for the presenter (perhaps it was, but I wasn't convinced. Maybe this emotional aspect of things could allow other viewers to relate). I think the evidence is compelling enough without appealing to emotion - I say that, but I guess I'm already vegan so...!

[Jamie in Chile]

Here is my take on it. This is a copy and paste from elsewhere with a few edits so it makes sense after reposting here:

"It's worth watching. It's also worth trying to get other people to watch, especially people that currently eat fish.

It does a good job of covering many problem aspects of the fishing industry, and is basically an anti fishing movie made with the purpose of trying to get people to eat fish (which is great!). The argument against fish is overwhelming, so it's not difficult. I think this movie will help the vegan cause and do a lot of good.

It shines a light on bottom trawling but that is a minor part of the movie. It also touches on unsustainable practices. The dark side of the fishing industry, including human slavery and illegal fishing, is also a key part of the movie. It doesn't contain many brand new ideas or findings, and is more of a high level documentary. They chose to focus on most of the anti-fish arguments briefly rather than focus on some briefly and jet set all over the world as if they think they are in a Bond movie covering all sorts of different themes in the 90 minutes.

This is basically the third in a trilogy of Kip Anderson films following Cowspiracy and What the Health. As usual, they act like they were just your average joe who just happened upon the vegan truth as they went along, but I wouldn't be surprised to find the whole thing was already loosely scripted. I suspect the makers were vegan from the start and create this narrative so that people watching can relate to an emotional journey of the person in the film. That way, it doesn't come across as a vegan preachy film from the start. It may work psychologically, but it's fundamentally dishonest without being explicitly dishonest.

They mostly interview people who will agree with them already, except when they are out to get someone and then they just try and deliberately trip them up. The New York times has said that "“the film’s rhetorical style often feels like a cheap imitation of hard-hitting investigative journalism”. Harsh but true. I wondered if that was why Kip himself wasn't on screen this time. Maybe he figured out that they would figure out his game if they recognized him and he'd never get his foot past the front door.

After focusing for most of the movie on sustainability issues, the latter part briefly presents what is essentially a vegan argument based on things such as fishes ability to feel pain, and pretty much says that this is the core argument against eating fish. So this movie is ultimately closer to being explicitly vegan than its two predecessors. This could be a change of tactic, but it could also be because they judged that animal rights are a much more known issue than fish rights.

I guess that these film makers are ethical vegans but focus on sustainability and health issues because they think that these are more winnable arguments or perhaps because they think the ethical arguments are already focused on elsewhere.

As art, the film deserves a 7/10 but if it helps create a vegan world in a way it should be 10/10. In spite of my criticisms of the film I fully recognize these film makers are doing far more for the vegan cause than I ever have so good for them."

[Jebus]

@Jamie in Chile Excellent review.

[Kaz1983]

It's a very good documentary.

[Jamie in Chile]

George Monbiot opinion piece: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... al-fishing

[joji]

Here is my take on it. This is a copy and paste from elsewhere with a few edits so it makes sense after reposting here:

As art, the film deserves a 7/10 but if it helps create a vegan world in a way it should be 10/10. In spite of my criticisms of the film I fully recognize these film makers are doing far more for the vegan cause than I ever have so good for them."

Strongly agree with your praises and criticisms of the movie. As a lover of documentaries and film in general, I was a mildly disappointed by some aspects. As a vegan documentary, top-tier. Good review!