Angel Azul

Angel Azul is a thought-provoking and visually captivating documentary that was first introduced to audiences in 2014. Directed by Marcelina Cravat and narrated by Emmy-winning actor Peter Coyote, the film pivots around the intriguing and innovative work of British artist, sculptor, and environmentalist Jason DeCaires Taylor. Known for his exceptional underwater sculptures, Taylor’s primary mission is the creation of artificial coral reefs, which both carry the weight of beauty and artistic value and serve to promote marine conservation. Embedding sculpture with environmental activism, he uses his work to address pressing ongoing issues related to our oceans, such as overfishing and climate change.

The narrative integrates interviews with marine biologist and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle, providing an authoritative voice that explores the intricacies of the world’s ocean ecosystems and the myriad challenges they face. Earle elucidates the importance of Taylor's invaluable contribution in the race to comprehend, protect, and revitalize marine environments. Her insights provide a critical point of view to understand the film’s primary focus: art's role in environmental conservation.

Throughout the 86-minute runtime of Angel Azul, viewers take a transcendent journey, diving deep into the spectacular underwater world created by Taylor. The film kicks off with an incisive look into the conception and execution of Taylor's most ambitious project: an underwater sculpture museum, called MUSA (Museo Subaquatico de Arte), located in Cancun, Mexico. This project, involving hundreds of life-sized concrete sculptures, is immersed at varying depths and is designed to regenerate coral life gradually.

With a particular emphasis on Taylor's work known as the Man on Fire - a life-sized, stoic figure set alight by fire coral - the film offers breathtaking visuals of the submerged artistic creation. This specific piece encapsulates the documentary's essence as it transfers the very human fear of being burned alive into the depths of the sea, serving as a metaphor for the damage being inflicted on marine ecosystems.

The beauty of Angel Azul is that it applies an intelligent and balanced touch to its central theme. The film gives viewers an understanding and awareness of the world's coral reefs' plight, highlighting their distress, the devastation of their ecosystems, and humanity’s pivotal role in this crisis. Rather than solely charting the graph of environmental devastation, the film gracefully communicates the potential for resurrection and redemption through art. At the same time, it underscores humanity's responsibility for causing and reversing the oceans' destruction.

However, the film does not shy away from exploring the controversies surrounding Taylor's work, focusing at one point on the debate raised by critics who question whether the artificial reefs are contributing positively to the marine ecosystem or are harming the local fauna and flora. Questions around the actual understanding of artificial reefs and their potential harm amplify the real-life complexity and ongoing debate regarding marine conservation efforts.

Angel Azul is more than a penetrating documentary about marine conservation and underwater sculptures. It delves into the very intersection of art and environmental activism, providing a model wherein art becomes the leveraging tool to create a much-needed dialogue about our responsibility towards the marine world.

Painting a vividly outlined picture of art, environment, and activism, Angel Azul will engage, enlighten, and inspire its viewers, stirring emotions and encouraging critical reflections on human practices and their subsequent impacts on the natural world.

The film's combination of beautiful cinematography, penetrating interviews, and thought-provoking narrative makes Angel Azul a genuine gem among environmental documentaries. Taylor's pioneering work and the film's exploration of art as a form of environmentalism contribute to a captivating viewing experience that delivers a potent environmental message. Ultimately, Angel Azul is an intimate portrait of one man's journey to make a difference in the world, profoundly and positively affecting all those who experience it.