Running at an all too brief 38 minutes, Searching for the Coral Paradise is the type of documentary to give you a firm kick when it comes to seeing the destruction and subsequent conservation of our precious reefs. An important and educational viewing experience.
Coral reefs are the “rainforests” of the ocean floor, sheltering nearly a quarter of all marine life. And now, corals are facing bleaching, disappearing, and dying. Scientists predict that if the development continues, coral may completely disappear from the earth by 2050! In the summer of 2019, ocean explorer DaDa, on behalf of China’s local coral conservation organization, Qianai, went to Camiguin in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and other places to visit fellow coral conservationists around the world and document their work.
When you think of coral reefs, you automatically think of the ones in Australasia and Polynesia; at least, this was the case for me. So to learn that there are, in fact, multiple large swathes of coral around Asian countries and Hong Kong was a surprise, to say the least. You may have seen the video or photo comparisons of how coral used to be and their current state. If so, you would probably know of the integral fast-paced work some conservationists are doing to get the reefs back to their former ecological glory. This is where Searching for the Coral Paradise starts us off.
In the Philippines, we meet Jose Rodriguez (Jojo), who informs us how important it is to him that the reefs are saved. Each piece of coral saved or installed back into the ocean is the equivalent of saving a child in the future. Our children and their children’s futures will be drastically affected by climate change, so while we cannot save animals and plants that are already extinct, we can save what are heading in the same direction from having the same fate. Simple lines like this in Searching for the Coral Paradise are highly effective and cement the purpose of highlighting the work being carried out.
The documentary purposely wants to wallop you while also educating you on what is being done and what should be done. In a scene, we see the equipment and efforts put in to grow a reef, with structures all around to assist with the growth. But, these efforts have been in vain due to the pollution being pushed through into that sea area. Making possible years’ worth of efforts slowly die away before their eyes.
Searching for the Coral Paradise later goes on to show how some coral in Hong Kong has survived whilst being in one of the most hostile environments. Yet, even this type of coral (Platygyra) fell victim to rather poisonous algae, so the group, with Government permission, have begun to chisel the coral away, nurse it and then return it to a saver location so that they can flourish.
All in all, it makes the documentary fascinating. Thanks to its easy pace and explanations, it makes you want to learn more. You feel pride in the people working throughout their lives to improve our oceans, even when everything appears to be stacked against them. For as long as we have people like DaDa, we have hope, and for now, hope is all we can cling to – a terrific 38-minute documentary.
For more information on Odyssey: A Chinese Cinema Season click here
For other films reviewed from the Season, please see below!
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