Eco Pirate: The Paul Watson Story
Genre:
Director: Trish Dolman
Stars: Paul Watson, Patrick Moore, Rex Weyler
Rating: ***1/2
Paul Watson doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the all-loving environmentalist. In fact, the early member of Greenpeace left the organization because he disagreed with their non-violent polices and now embarks on environmental quests like captaining ships that crash into illegal Japanese whaling vessels (captured in this documentary with terrifying immediacy). As you’d expect, he’s a controversial figure and fortunately Trish Dolman’s documentary profile offers no sugar coating. She makes the importance of Paul’s activism is clear, but not without acknowledging the often insane measures he’s willing to take and his shaky personal life. Paul emerges as a complex, flawed, yet vital member of the environmental community.