Progressive Film Hour - 04.07.15

Today’s featured film on Progressive Film Hour is the award-winning documentary, Angel Azur, a film which explores the artistic journey of Jason deCaires Taylor, an innovative artist who combines creativity with an important environmental solution; the creation of artificial coral reefs from statues he’s cast from live models.

When algae overtakes the reefs however, experts provide the facts about the perilous situation coral reefs currently face and solutions necessary to save them. Peter Coyote generously provides insightful narration that leaves viewers pondering our connection to this valuable and beautiful ecosystem.  The film highlights the intense issues surrounding the global destruction of coral reefs, and who is doing what to protect them, as well as who is doing what to ignore their plight and further erode them.

Filmmaker Marcelina Cravat will be joining Mitchell in a Round Table discussion about the issues around coral reefs and some creative ways she explores in the film to help preserve and restore them.

Marcy trained at the Art Center College of Design in photography and the Berkeley Digital Film Institute in film. Making a transition from photography to film came later in life when her love for storytelling motivated her to return to school to pursue a career as a writer/director. Upon graduating she co-founded a small production company specializing in portrait style documentaries on artists and then went on to found Passelande Pictures that serves as an umbrella for all of her projects going forward. Marcelina grew up around Hollywood sets as daughter of character actor Nick Cravat, Burt Lancaster’s life long chum, circus partner and co-star.