Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Issue 2/2016 | Page 62

ADEX 2016

APRIL 15–17 SUNTEC SINGAPORE

carbon emissions that
are acidifying the oceans,
illegal shark fishermen
polluting the atmosphere,
intercepted by Misool
and warming the planet.
Eco Resort rangers in
Raja Ampat Shark and
Shawn’s role in the film was
Ray Sanctuary
helping capture and develop
Image © Guy Stevens
key parts of the overall story,
4. Director Louie
both as an activist and a
Psihoyos with the
modified Tesla during the cinematographer, and the
projection event at the
film covers much of his work
United Nations
Image © Shawn Heinrichs to conserve sharks and
manta rays around the world.
5. Team member
But infiltrating the shady
Heather Rally documents
thousands of shark fins
world of the global wildlife
drying on a Hong Kong
trade didn’t come without
rooftop
Image © Shawn Heinrichs risks, even for gutsy and
passionate activists relying
on carefully developed “covers”, rehearsed
security protocols, creative filming techniques,
3. Shawn documents

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and emergency exit strategies. Shawn reveals
that the most dangerous situations surrounded
their undercover work exposing the shark fin
and endangered species trade in Asia. “While
undercover, there was no ‘backup’ team ready
to race in and extract us if something went
wrong. Instead we were on our own, unarmed,
completely exposed in foreign countries, and
dealing with underground, triad-controlled
trade networks.”
For Shawn, putting themselves in harm’s way
wasn’t nearly the hardest thing they endured
during filming. One particularly gut-wrenching
part of the film following the manta fishermen
of the Indonesian village of Lamakera was
emotionally very difficult to shoot. “These are
creatures I absolutely love and have spent years
defending,” says Shawn. “I had to stand by and
watch as they harpooned a huge manta, pulled
it in while it struggled desperately for almost an
hour, then drove a steel rod into the back of
its head. The experience blackened my soul
and left me search to see any hope for many
months afterwards.”
BUILDING PROJECTIONS AND A
PIMPED-OUT TESLA
From the outset, Racing Extinction was designed
to be much more than merely an “ordinary”
documentary: Visionary director Louie Psihoyos,
who won an Academy Award for his 2009
film about the tragic slaughter of dolphins in
Japan, The Cove, wanted to reach not only the
“converted” but the whole planet. And to do
that, they needed to think big, very big.
Shawn explains: “While filming The Cove,
Louie met Ady Gil, a passionate activist who
projected imagery on a large screen as part of