A Plastic Ocean: a film review
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.
Preparation
A Plastic Ocean
A Plastic Ocean is a film to make you think. Think, and then act. We need to take action on our dependence on plastic. We've been producing plastic in huge quantities since the 1940s. Drink bottles, shopping bags, toiletries and even clothes are made with plastic. 1) _____. What happens to all the rest? This is the question the film A Plastic Ocean answers. It is a documentary that looks at the impact that plastic waste has on the environment. Spoiler alert: the impact is devastating.
The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. But during the journey the filmmakers (journalist Craig Leeson and environmental activist Tanya Streeter) make the shocking discovery of a huge, thick layer of plastic floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. 2) _____. In total, they visited 20 locations around the world during the four years it took them to make the film. The documentary premiered in 2016, and is now on streaming services such as Netflix.
It's very clear that a lot of research went into the film. There are beautiful shots of the seas and marine life. 3) _____. We see how marine species are being killed by all the plastic we are dumping in the ocean. The message about our use of plastic is painfully obvious.
4) _____. In the second half, the filmmakers look at what we can do to reverse the tide of plastic flowing around the world. They present short-term and long-term solutions. These include avoiding plastic containers and 'single-use' plastic products as much as possible. Reuse your plastic bags and recycle as much as you can. The filmmakers also stress the need for governments to work more on recycling programmes, and look at how technology is developing that can convert plastic into fuel.
We make a staggering amount of plastic. In terms of plastic bags alone, we use five hundred billion worldwide annually. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, and at least 8 million of those are dumped into the oceans. 5) _____. Once you've seen A Plastic Ocean, you'll realise the time is now and we all have a role to play.
Unfortunately, recently I haven’t watched any documentary films because I simply don’t have time. However, when I was a child, I really liked watching documentaries about animals. Every Sunday afternoon, a documentary narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough was broadcast on TV. Of course, I watched it with a Polish voice-over, but I still remember his voice even though I didn’t understand English at that time.
That's a very good topic, all of us should take it seriously.
I agree that plastic pollution is a serious global problem, especially because it causes long-term damage to marine life. However, I believe it is not too late to change if both individuals and governments take responsibility and reduce single-use plastic.
There's one in Netflix called The Social Network. It made me think a lot of how much time a spend on social media and I'm trying to reduce it.
Thank you for the material.
i recommend the documentary buy now! the shopping conspiracy (2024). it’s available on netflix.
after all, it’s a sad fact that we consume much more than we really need.
The environment is the foundation of our lives. Yet too often, people treat protecting it as someone else’s responsibility. That mindset is dangerous. We must act now—not later—and we must teach our children to value and safeguard the planet.
Protecting the environment isn’t optional; it’s a shared duty. Every small action matters, and together they add up to real change. By living responsibly today and educating the next generation, we ensure a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.
It Is completely necessary take action now and educate ourselves so that we can transform our habits, our lives and leave this dependence on plastic.
Thank you so much for the reading material. What an informative review that definitely inspired me to watch the documentary!
I would recommend That sugar film: the rules. It is interesting because we have around a lot of products which contain a huge of number of sugar. Who is interested in watching this film could own up the risk that it represents to your health.