What is at issue:
UNBELIZEABLUE is an original documentary film project that will tell the story of an inspiring group of women from various walks of life who are leading efforts to protect Belize’s marine environment and associated livelihoods. Belize is home to one of the planet’s most spectacular marine environments: the world’s second largest coral reef ecosystem. That system includes the world famous Great Blue Hole, first popularized by Jacques Cousteau; three unique coral atolls; and numerous other pristine reefs. Economically, this natural heritage is critically important to Belizeans, most of whom owe their livelihoods to the reef in some way, either through fishing or tourism.
Like other coastal countries, Belize’s economy relies heavily on its marine resources. In fact, fishing and marine-based tourism sustain the livelihoods of more than 50% of the country’s citizens. Consequently, the equitable use of marine resources is of critical importance to Belizeans, who wish their natural capital to be conserved and reinvested in a sustainable way.
But how can communities thrive while coexisting with their natural environment? Where do we draw the line between property development and environmental protection? How does a country choose between mass cruise ship tourism and eco-friendly overnight tourism? Who signs-off on the tradeoff between offshore oil exploitation versus a potential natural disaster due to oil spills along pristine reefs? These are some of the critical questions and challenges that will be explored in the film.
With regards to the film’s characters, Belize has the unique distinction that virtually all its local and international NGOs are led by women, as are key government departments associated with the protection of marine resources. This appears to be a multigenerational phenomenon where a group of women pioneers opened the door for the next generation of female conservation leaders, who are in turn boosting a newer generation to begin making their voices heard. Showcasing these women leaders and their stories will be the main plotline of UNBELIZEABLUE.
UNBELIZEABLUE, a documentary film showcasing marine conservation in Belize. The original audio and footage recorded in March 2022 was essential to create a 3-minute production trailer that was released to the public in July 2022. Since then, the production trailer has become a critical asset to increase awareness to help preserve the planet’s oceans by promoting courageous community efforts by women leaders at the forefront of marine conservation in Belize.
What's happening now:
Eclectic Aspirations LLC continues to work on UNBELIZEABLUE and has completed two additional filming trips to Belize on May 7-14, 2022 and July 6-26, 2022. The original audio and footage recorded on those trips will be used to create a 6-minute extended production trailer. We expect to start post-production in the next couple of months as we work towards completing the entire feature documentary film.
What we have achieved:
The original audio and footage recorded in March 2022 was essential to create a 3-minute production trailer that was released to the public in July 2022. Since then, the production trailer has become a critical asset to increase awareness to help preserve the planet’s oceans by promoting courageous community efforts by women leaders at the forefront of marine conservation in Belize.
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