Following the screening they will hold a discussion featuring filmmaker chris jordan. Artist chris jordan alit on midway island in 2009 to photograph the albatrosses that populate this small spot of land in the middle of the pacific. Albatross takes viewers on visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. Albatross, a film by artist chris jordan, is a powerfully moving love story about birds on midway island in the pacific whose bodies are filled with ocean plastic. Albatross by chris jordan is an outstanding movie that shows you the answer. Both elegy and warning, the film explores the interconnectedness of species, with the albatross on midway as a mirror of our humanity. Finding grace through waste in intolerable beauty news. Many contemporary artists are integrating environmental themes into their work.
The name of the island was a powerful lesson that way. The voice jordan narrates the film with conveys his personal sense of loss. It seems to me that collectively we are getting further and further away from what we feel. Language subtitles are available by clicking the cc button. It opens the door to peep into the family life of albatross, yes, the big seabird. For three years, seattle photographer chris jordan and a small crew of cinematographers have been filming the albatross living and breeding on the island for an upcoming documentary called midway. Albatross is a powerful visual journey into the heart of a gutwrenching environmental tragedy. Many of jordans works are created from photographs of garbage and mass consumption, a serendipitous. Using spare narration and stunning imagery, midway focuses on the plight of the laysan albatross plagued by the ingestion of our plastic trash. Film screening of albatross to shine light on issue of. Film screening albatross by chris jordan presented with parley for the oceans. The film is a stunning visual journey, exploring the impacts of global plastic pollution in the ocean through the eyes of the albatross. Filmmaker chris jordan will be present for a talkback discussion following the screening. They have a wingspan of more than 6 feet, soaring vast distances without flapping their wings.
Chris jordan born 1963 is an american artist, photographer and film producer based in seattle, washington. Film screening albatross by chris jordan presented. Albatross, a film by artist chris jordan, will be offered as a free public screening through penn state centre stage and the penn state sustainability institute at noon on friday, july 12, and 7 p. On one of the remotest islands on earth, tens of thousands of albatross chicks lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic. They can go years without even touching land, live for more than half a century, and will often stick with a single mate for their entire lifespan but they have a problem. The albatross parent regurgitates food and slips it into the throat of the hungry chick. The film delivers a profound message of reverence and renewal that has been reaching and stimulating an audience of millions around the world. The full film can be streamed downloaded for free at. Albatross, a film by artist chris jordan, is a powerfully moving love story about birds on midway island in the pacific whose bodies are filled with ocean. Screening of albatross a film by chris jordan ncbs. The dutch public premiere of albatross, a powerful visual journey into the heart of a gutwrenching environmental tragedy. Chris jordanalbatross hes since returned multiple times to midway atoll to document the cycle of birth, life and death, and has edited his footage into a documentary film. Albatross by chris jordan,sabine emiliani 20 films for.
Albatross was an official selection at the telluride mountain film festival in may 2017, and the movie trailer was viewed and discussed at the united nations on world oceans day in june 2017. Jerusalemer strasse10117 berlin friday, november 10, 2017. Albatross directed by chris jordan, 97m, 2018 introduced by victoria jordan, producer of the film. Trailer for documentary film albatross by chris jordan. The documentary albatross shows how we need to reconnect to. Film screening of albatross to shine light on issue of ocean plastic pollution june 30, 2019 university park, pa. Watch this powerfully moving film about the birds whose bodies are filled with ocean plastic. Laysan albatrosses plastic problem smithsonian ocean. Returning to the island over several years, our team witnessed the cycles of life and death of these birds as a multi.
The documentary albatross shows how we need to reconnect to nature to overcome our plastic culture to better understand the effects plastic has on marine ecosystems, scientists started using the state of health of seabirds as indicator of the extent of plastic. For a lighter touch, check out ocean todays short trash talk videos, a collaboration between the. Intolerable beauty, on view at the culver center of the arts july 6, 2019 through january 5, 2020. You can watch the film or host a screening via a message from chris jordan i believe the missing piece in our culture right now is feeling. An example are documentary films that often show a catastrophic global disaster. For a heartbreaking look at the toll on midways seabirds, see this trailer for the upcoming feature film albatross by photographer chris jordan. Reports, research projects, all point to the same disaster that chriss film so poignantly records. Watch on a system with good speakers or headphones if possible. Jordan returned to the midway islands to create a powerful documentary film, which can be viewed at the albatross film website. This is not your textbook nature documentary, but rather a. Chris jordan directorproducer stephanie levy producer terry tempest williams writer. It is a guided tour into the depths of their own spirits, delivering a profound message of reverence and love that is already reaching an audience of millions of people around the world.
Midway film tells story of plastics in our ocean through. Returning to the island over several years, chris and his filming team. Albatross by chris jordan transitions film festival. The midway film project is a powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. From internationally acclaimed photographic artist chris jordan, in his filmmaking debut, comes albatross, a powerful visual journey into the heart of a gutwrenching environmental tragedy.
Filmed by internationallyacclaimed photographic artist chris jordan. Albatross is a powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. Following his shocking photographs of dead albatross chicks and the diet of plastic that killed them, chris jordans new film is a call to action to repair our broken relationship with planet earth. Carl safina, conservationist and writer in 2009, artist chris jordan travelled to midway island and bore witness to tens of thousands of dead albatrosses lying.
Chris jordan shooting albatross chicks on midway island. Following his shocking photographs of dead albatross chicks and the diet of plastic that killed them, chris jordan s new film is a call to action to repair our broken relationship with planet earth. The full film can be streameddownloaded for free at. A powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. The image stops at the point that a blue piece of plastic glides into the chicks throat. The interview with photographer chris jordan, author of the documentary albatross. Documentary albatross shows how our obsession with. Returning to the island over several years, chris and his filming team witnessed cycles of birth, life, and death of these magnificent creatures as. Creating the environmental message, a panel discussion with chris jordan college of charleston school of science and mathematics auditorium, 202 calhoun street. Jordan records the cycles of birth, life, and death of these magnificent seabirds.
Albatross is a piercing, soaring, sobering, exalting artwork, tinged with the sadness of great love, radiantly brilliant. The film documents the iconic birds who live on midway island in the middle of the pacific who. Following his shocking photographs of dead albatross chicks and the diet of plastic that killed them, chris jordans new film is a call to action to. Stepping outside the stylistic templates of traditional environmental or documentary films, albatross takes viewers on a lyrical guided tour into the depths of. One has questions with no answer, one does not understand his or her life anymore. Chris jordan is one of several activists who have been inspired by the tragic plight of albatross fledglings on the midway islands. Little did jordan know that he would return time and again to midway on a wildly challenging eightyear odyssey to tell the story of these remarkable birds and what they mean to him. Register for your seat at or pick up a ticket at the box office, while tickets last. Up until my albatross film, i was focused exclusively on the bad news about our culture, and there is a darkness in that approach, he said. The explorers club and parley for the oceans cordially invite you to a screening of albatross a love story for our time from the heart of the pacific.
Laysan albatrosses phoebastria immutabilis are incredible birds. In 2018 chris jordan released a featurelength documentary film titled albatross, the result of his eightyear project photographing and filming plasticstuffed birds on midway island. This awardwinning 97 minute film is offered as a free public artwork. Albatross milano design film festivalmilano design film. A film by chris jordan charleston music hall, 37 john street wednesday, october 25, 7. Chris jordan doesnt want to tell anyone what to do about plastic waste but he says its time to face its impact. I first came across chris jordans work when, with some colleagues. Using spare narration and stunning imagery, chris jordans feature film albatross explores the plight of laysan albatross plagued by the ingestion of our plastic trash. On midway island, in the remote north pacific ocean, tens of thousands of laysan. On the website dedicated to the film, jordan says it all started as the world began to wake up to the issue of plastic. Chris jordan midway halsey institute of contemporary art. Chris jordans albatross film trailer from chris jordan photographic arts on vimeo.
Jordans latest project, midway, is a featurelength film that expands on the plastic pollution problem by focusing on the plastic fragments that fill up albatross stomachs as they try to feed in the open ocean. This is a story that may change the way you see everything. Albatross is presented as part of the exhibition chris jordan. His film is available for free downloadstreaming at the journey of albatross began in 2008 as a collaboration with my friend, activistphotographer manuel maqueda. The american photographer and filmmaker, chris jordan, has worked on albatross a love story for our time from the heart of the pacific for years. Albatross is a powerful visual journey into the heart of a gutwrenching environmental tragedy, while delivering a profound message of healing and renewal.
Jordan, a seattlebased photographer, spent eights years working on his debut film albatross, which screened at earthxfilm on friday. Julia stoschek collection leipziger strasse 60entrance. Albatross film screening with artistdirector chris jordan. On one of the remotest islands on our planet, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic. Released in april, albatross has been shown at the telluride film festival, among many other venues. Jordan, a former lawyer who changed career in midlife, said albatross is his gift to world im close to having to declare bankruptcy, but it feels like giving the film as a gift is part of the art.