As part of the Science Festival in Martinique, get a sneak peek at the documentary: “Sargassum, Brown Algae, Green Ideas.”.
Two screenings, followed by a discussion and the presentation of the “Caribbean Sargassum Multimedia Information Kit,” are scheduled:
– Monday, November 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the CTM (Martinique Territorial Collectivity) headquarters
-Tuesday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. at Le Diamant City Hall
Synopsis of the film, which was partially shot in Martinique:
Clumps of seaweed, known as Sargassum, wash up on the beaches of the Caribbean islands, covering them with a thick layer that turns brown as it dries. The first “floating rafts” were observed off the coast of French Guiana in 2011; no large-scale strandings had been recorded before then. Today, they are washing up, in particular, on the coasts of the Lesser Antilles (Martinique, Guadeloupe) and French Guiana. Once they wash up in lagoons, the bottoms of bays, beaches, and harbors (where they obstruct navigation), they begin to decompose, giving off a rotten-egg smell characteristic of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a gas that is hazardous to health. This odor drives tourists away and bothers local residents. Out at sea, a multitude of these slicks—several centimeters thick and stretching up to 500 kilometers—continue to drift toward the coast. But where do they come from? How are they linked to global warming? Why are they a problem for the environment, the economy, and public health? Once collected, how can they be put to good use?…
This 52-minute film was written by Teddy Albert, Laure Martin, and Frédéric Tyrode St Louis. It was directed by Teddy Albert.
With the participation of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Guadeloupe, the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique, the Ministry of Overseas Territories, and the Guadeloupe Region.
For information and reservations: bcicom@bcicom.org or call 06 90 39 85 49
