Every Second Breath Project is a short-film ​series that gives voice to (extra)ordinary people whose lives have been transformed by the ocean, who are doing something to heal the ocean, sharing with their community and thus have committed themselves ​to become agents of change.

Over 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean, but our oceans are in crisis. Pollution, global warming, extreme weather, coral bleaching, overfishing, and acidification – our seas are facing catastrophe. Each of us, one person at time, can ​help change the future of our beloved oceans. One need not be a scientist, politician or an activist leader to make a difference. These human ​stories give insight into the dire circumstances faced by our seas and inspire individual action.

Local filmmakers Cynthia Abbott (a WORK member) and Andrea Leland will screen two of their short films from the Every Second Breath Project as a springboard to discuss individual action in the face of ocean decline and how to drive people to take action. In this discussion we will also brainstorm how to reach a wider audience with these films and make suggestions for potential future subjects for the film project.

“You are not just the drop in the ocean.
Your are the entire ocean in the drop.”
— Rumi

CLIMATE CHATS are brought to you free by WORK Petaluma. Donations are welcome and Friends of WORK Memberships help us keep this program going! 🙂

PLEASE RSVP HERE

Bio: Andrea Leland has produced and directed five award-winning documentaries focusing on Caribbean cultures and have screened at museums, conferences, and festivals throughout Europe, Latin America, and the United States. A Petaluma resident and has lived part-time on St John, USVI for over 25+ years, she has seen first hand the urgency of creating films about the ocean crisis. The islands were hit directly by the strongest hurricane ever recorded resulting in devastation on land and sea; destroying coral reefs and loss of community from relocation due to destroyed homes and incomes.

Cynthia Abbott is an independent producer/director of award winning short environmental films who believes the power of storytelling can change our collective vision of the ocean and create a new vision for the ocean’s future – protected and thriving. An experienced cinematographer, editor, and producer who has worked in Burma and Thailand, she has spent her adult life living near the ocean in California and Hawaii and is witness to its environmental demise. Compelled to take action, she produces films on environmental issues to raise awareness and move people to take action.