IT’S EVERYBODY’S OCEAN (documentary), 2014
directed by Atsuko Quirk
USA/Japan, 40′, Japanese subtitles over English & English subtitles over Japanese dialog
Showtime: Saturday, Feb 28, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Suggested donation $10. Reserve tickets here or call 212-677-8621. Tickets will also be available at the door if not sold out.
Please join us for a reception & community screening of the new documentary “It’s Everybody’s Ocean” (40′) about the consequences of out-of-control consumption and one island community’s efforts to stay afloat amongst the mounting garbage. Afterward, we’ll talk with the film’s director, Atsuko Quirk (Media Producer for Cafeteria Culture and board member of Fifth Street Farm Project), about the film and her experiences in bringing people together to reduce waste and create climate-smart communities. A suggested donation of $10 will support the film’s distribution.
 
It’s everybody’s ocean,
it’s everybody’s problem.
This documentary tells a story of how marine debris is affecting the people of Ikema, a tiny and beautiful island of the Miyako Islands, known for its stunning coral reefs. The island’s once pristine beaches now play host to tons of plastic marine debris, originating from all over Asia, polluting their beaches, and threatening the lives of marine species. This is the story of a small island struggle with plastic pollution. 
The people of Ikema are committed to keeping the beaches clean and free from marine debris. They do this to prevent trash from going back into the ocean after storms, and to preserve tourism. But most importantly, they do this because of their spiritual commitment to the island. People on Ikema have been praying to nature gods for over 500 years. They still have a deep respect for the ocean as one of their nature gods. 
“It’s Everybody’s Ocean” won the best documentary short at NYC International Film Festival in 2014 and two awards at other festivals. It has been shown in 10 cities all over the world.
Watch the trailer:
 

It’s Everybody’s Ocean – Trailer みんなの海だから 予告編 from Atsuko Quirk on Vimeo.

 
Learn moreWatch trailerAtsuko Quirk’s web site
About the Spirituality & Social Change Meetup Group
Our intention is to bring together people at the nexus of consciousness-raising, social entrepreneurship and social change to network and to spotlight individuals, projects, movements, NGO’s, and for-good companies that are extending love and creativity into the world in ways that inspire others to do the same. We will attempt to bring a spiritual perspective to themes such as environmentalism, sustainability, human rights, economic justice and women’s empowerment. From the point of view of spirit, “nothing real can be threatened” [A Course in Miracles]. From this perspective, it is madness to try to change anyone or anything; however, this conclusion hardly precludes action! Once freed from the need to change ourselves or others, we can devote all our thoughts to sharing our love and creativity, and there are an infinite variety of ways we can be kind and helpful to one another. In fact, it is only through sharing our inner creativity and unconditional love that we remember and realize our limitlessness.
To this end we envision hosting documentary film screenings, mixers, lectures, fundraisers, panel discussions, Q&As, and, perhaps later, organizing and/or participating in various social good projects. We value diversity and inclusivity and invite you to share your voice with the community.

 
February 201528 4:30 pm