After reading the synopsis for the film Kelp! I headed straight to their website - it featured so many things I’m passionate about that I had to watch it immediately! I hit the play button, sat back and enjoyed half an hour of pure hope and joy - something it can sometimes be a bit tricky to find within the environmental space.
I was aware of seaweed farming being a big deal in South East Asia, as I have seen vast coastal areas that are home to this form of agriculture, but I was surprised to learn that it was very much booming in the UK. The film goes into great detail about how amazing kelp is - it’s a habitat for numerous marine species, its potential to sequester carbon is unbelievable, it is a highly nutritious superfood, and it can be used as an alternative to plastic which is completely safe for humans and the planet.
Artwork by Jasmine Hortop
Not only was I in awe of kelp itself, but also the team who made this film. I’ve heard of the great lengths production teams have gone to to ensure their films do not create more environmental problems that they’re attempting to solve, but the extreme efforts of the Kelp! team became as much of an integral part of the story as the kelp itself. I’m not going to ruin the film by going into too much detail, but it’s definitely the only production I’ve ever been aware of being filmed entirely on a sailboat!
We somehow came up with the phrase ‘hungry for joy’ throughout the interview, and it’s something I regularly experience, with the greatest of appetites. If you’re looking for a big dose of hope and inspiration, I’d certainly recommend heading straight to the Kelp! website and getting exactly what you need! Scroll down to find the trailer, and a here’s a (free) link to the full film. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
By Hannah Mulvany
Kelp! A Wind-Powered Seaweed Celebration