Olivier Agostini, who was selected for last year’s SHOOT New Directors Showcase, helmed this short which takes a humorous approach to the serious real-world ordeal endured by the Arctic 30, a group of Greenpeace activists who set out to save the Arctic from oil drilling. They were blasted by water cannons, shot at, and eventually arrested and detained for 12 months in a Russian prison.
Produced by production agency Future Camp in association with Brooklyn-based production company Greenpoint Pictures (which represents Agostini in the U.S.), this short opens in the office of a small business owner named Gary who is passionate about the environment, respects the work of Greenpeace and loves whale music. He recruits Dina, an office assistant a few years past her prime, to embark on a peaceful mission to save the Arctic. He gives her a taste of what’s in store–throwing water on her to simulate the water cannon barrage. He and another colleague then draw guns on her and fire warning shots–like the Russian authorities have and will. The woman, with at times comic facial expressions of disbelief, is then told to prepare to serve time in a Russian prison. Despite all this, she volunteers for the mission.
“This film is a comedic interpretation of a very serious situation that is currently happening in Russia,” said Agostini. “We wanted to draw attention to plight of the Arctic 30 without solely relying on documentary style footage. We hope this film will reach and raise awareness to a broader audience, not just green-minded individuals, in an entertaining and engaging way.”
Actual footage of what the Arctic 30 endured is shown at the end of the film.
