Reading text: A Plastic Ocean: a film review
A Plastic Ocean is a film to make you think. Think, and then act. We need to take action
on our dependence on plastic. We’ve been producing plastic in huge quantities since
the 1940s. Drink bottles, shopping bags, toiletries and even clothes are made with
plastic. 1) ………………… . What happens to all the rest? This is the question the film A
Plastic Ocean answers. It is a documentary that looks at the impact that plastic waste
has on the environment. Spoiler alert: the impact is devastating.
The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. But
during the journey the filmmakers (journalist Craig Leeson and environmental activist
Tanya Streeter) make the shocking discovery of a huge, thick layer of plastic floating in
the middle of the Indian Ocean. 2) ………………… . In total, they visited 20 locations
around the world during the four years it took them to make the film. The documentary
premiered in 2016, and is now on streaming services such as Netflix.
It’s very clear that a lot of research went into the film. There are beautiful shots of the
seas and marine life. 3) ………………… . We see how marine species are being killed by all
the plastic we are dumping in the ocean. The message about our use of plastic is
painfully obvious.
4) ………………… . In the second half, the filmmakers look at what we can do to reverse the
tide of plastic flowing around the world. They present short-term and long-term
solutions. These include avoiding plastic containers and ‘single-use’ plastic products as
much as possible. Reuse your plastic bags and recycle as much as you can. The
filmmakers also stress the need for governments to work more on recycling
programmes, and look at how technology is developing that can convert plastic into
fuel.
We make a staggering amount of plastic. In terms of plastic bags alone, we use five
hundred billion worldwide annually. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every
year, and at least 8 million of those are dumped into the oceans. 5) ………………… . Once
you’ve seen A Plastic Ocean, you’ll realise the time is now and we all have a role to play.
Tasks
Task 1
Match the missing sentences (a–e) with the correct place in the text (1–5).
a. This prompts them to travel around the world to look at other areas that have
been affected.
b. These are contrasted with scenes of polluted cities and dumps full of plastic
rubbish.
c. We live in a world full of plastic, and only a small proportion is recycled.
d. The results are disastrous, but it isn’t too late to change.
e. But the film doesn’t only present the negative side.
Task 2
Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
obvious reverse take term
impact role make amount
1. We urgently need to ……………………………… action about the plastic waste problem.
2. The hurricane had a devastating ……………………………… on the island.
3. The filmmakers ……………………………… a shocking discovery in the Pacific.
4. The answer was painfully ……………………………… to everyone in the room.
5. Everyone has a ……………………………… to play in this situation.
6. It’s not too late to ……………………………… the tide and fix the problem.
7. This is a short-……………………………… solution. It won’t work forever.
8. There is a staggering ……………………………… of plastic in the world.
Discussion
What documentary films would you recommend?
