Must Watch – Blue Burning

Mankind and South Africa’s relentless march down the fossil fuel abyss whilst upholding Operation Phakisa as the poster flag for petro-capitalists masquerading as environmental warriors is one that needs to be halted immediately.

Operation Phakisa is pursuing 30 new offshore oil and gas wells off of the South African coast by 2030.

Protecting the coast from these modern day pirates are what some would say are a motley collection of subsistence fishers, sangomas, amateur environmentalits and many highly educated people in various fields.

This group of motley fellows represents a coming together of persons from many diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions, societal standing and race – NOT the usual suspects of a ‘Bunch of Karens’ on the rampage at all.

And this is where the petro-capitalists and tenderpreuners failed dismally in their legal quest to continue raping and pillaging our marine environment. Thwarted at every turn by a committed, caring mass of diversity that could not be pinned down and tamed by high priced advocates and lawyers who submitted appeal after appeal.

And now, whilst our Atlantic and Indian ocean coastlines take a breath and recover from the onslaught of relentless seismic surveys the various groupings opposed to offshore drilling can take a break and watch Janet Solomon’s movie – Blue Burning.

Editor: I can say with a small sense of pride that I also contributed a small part to the Blue Burning movie.

Blue Burning is the story of the growing social opposition to the Operation Phakisa plans, uniting fisher and traditional healer collectives, coastal communities, Indigenous groups, scientists, environmental NGOs, academics, and the general public in defence of the ocean commons and climate futures in what has been described as the biggest environmental campaign of South Africa’s history. Expect a visually stunning, well-paced movie with a magnificent musical score.

More about Blue Burning here: https://www.blueburning.africa

Director and Pruducer Janet Solomon’s work orbits around ideas of alienation, reduction of relation and its destructive consequences, and the susceptibility of the subject to dissociative forces. Solomon’s work is inscribed by a sense of loss of some precious quality in the world or self. Her works are filled with a haunting pathos, a sense of a curiously anti heroic, fragile beauty found in individuals’ struggle to come to grips with situations larger than themselves.

More about Janet here: https://www.janetsolomon.com/