|
By toM osBorne
It ’ s cerebral . It ’ s science . It ’ s informative . It ’ s spellbinding . It ’ s personal . It ’ s fun . It ’ s visceral . It ’ s critically acclaimed cinematic art . It ’ s the MacGillivray Freeman Oscarnominated film : “ The Living Sea .”
My wife and I viewed it for the third or fourth time since its 1995 release . We ’ ve seen it on the giant IMAX screen at the Irvine Spectrum ;
|
I ’ ve shown it to my students at Santa Ana College ; and most recently , we watched it at Laguna ’ s cameo venue , the Rivian South Coast Theater , on the evening of June 13 with a capacity audience . The Coast Film & Music Festival presented the film .
Greg MacGillivray has some important things in common with my favorite writer , John Steinbeck . Both took science courses at California universities , getting what they needed before diving into what they loved : storytelling for large , truly international audiences . For both gifted storytellers , the sea figured prominently in their lives and artistry , and both saw a unity and interdependence in all that exists . In the “ Log from the Sea of Cortez ,” John Steinbeck said , “ all things are one thing and that one thing is all things — plankton , a shimmering phosphorescence on the sea and the spinning planets and an expanding universe , all bound together by the elastic string of time . It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the
|
tide pool again .” In “ The Living Sea ,” MacGillivray muses on a less celestial scale , through the voice of narrator Meryl Streep , about the “ one world ocean ” that provides us with oxygen , food , livelihoods , recreation , awe , and connection to our precursors through time .
In the film , this interdependence and connection through time are personalized poignantly in a segment situated in Palau , where a Pacific island diver , Francis Toribiong , takes his son and daughter on an underwater venture that he hopes will impart reverence and ecological understanding of how their people have a symbiotic relationship with the sea . What humans do to the ocean , in effect , we do to ourselves because islanders ’ lives are linked inextricably to marine life . Lest we fail to see the broader implications of Francis ’ s powerful teaching , he reminds us : “ We are all islanders .”
Aside from the film ’ s clear but not preachy message about the ocean ’ s beauty , fragility , and centrality to the
|
existence of virtually all life , I and others were amazed to learn a few things about the making of this film . It grossed $ 120 million and has been seen by approximately 150 million people worldwide of all ages . Film editor Stephen Judson and music composer / arranger Steve Wood , both highly talented longtime MacGillivray associates , were interviewed on stage after the showing . “ Editing is a lonely , lonely process ,” said Judson , who has a wry sense of humor . The editing labor can be seen in the fact that only one one-hundredth of the surfing footage ended up being used in the film . Thirty years ago , all that footage was shot from expensive helicopters , not drones . Steve Wood likened the skillful assemblage of film scenes and accompanying music to the making of “ a giant salad .”
Both seemed to say that Greg had the overall vision and aesthetic goal for the film . Simply put , said Judson : “ Make people fall in love with the sea .”
OSBORNE , PAGE 9
|
The Woman ’ s Club of Laguna Beach honored Renae Hinchey as its 2024 Woman of the Year at a luncheon on Friday , June 14 , at its clubhouse at 286 St . Ann ’ s Drive , Laguna Beach . Hinchey has been a member of the Woman ’ s Club for 24 years and served as board president in 2008 . She worked for the Laguna Beach County Water District for 20 years before retiring in 2020 and was the first woman in Orange County to hold |
the position of water district general manager . Now , she serves as the board president of the Susi Q .
“ It is such a pleasure to be a part of the Susi Q family ,” Hinchey said . “ Working with executive director Nadia Babayi and the staff has been a wonderful experience . It ’ s exciting to see the Susi Q grow and offer so much to our seniors . I ’ m proud to be a part of it .”
|
By LB Indy Staff Slice Pizza & Beer released its sixth Laguna Beach artist-designed box last week , featuring artwork from artist James Strombotne .
He also selected the quote on the inside flap by Albert Einstein , “ Life is like riding a bicycle . To keep your balance , you must keep moving .”
In keeping with the concept of promoting the local community ,
|
the pizza restaurant decided when it opened to have artists associated with Laguna Beach design their boxes . Local artists Cindy Fletcher , Sharon Hardy , Lisa Mansour , Lauren Howell and Larry Stewart designed the previous five boxes .
The restaurant stated that the box was released last week and will be available for most of the year .
|