An exclusive watch party Q&A after a screening of the new documentary “Reef Builders,” presented by the SHEBA brand, with Auli’i Cravalho and creators.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00As a young person, I feel like I'm inheriting a world that is on fire.
00:03What I love about this documentary is that it shows that there still is hope.
00:07Ali, I have a question for you.
00:12A few years ago, you infiltrated my household by a movie called Moana.
00:18And it played nonstop for my entire adulthood.
00:22I'm not sorry.
00:23Yeah, I know you're not sorry.
00:24And then you decided to go to Broadway.
00:27And now you're on Broadway.
00:28And then you want to do producing things.
00:31And now you want to save the world.
00:32I'm trying to just eat vegetables every day at this point.
00:35So why was this so important to you?
00:39And why was it such a big deal for you to get involved with?
00:42Those things didn't necessarily happen in that order.
00:46I was born and raised in Hawai'i.
00:49Born in Kohala, Hawai'i, which I think many of you know.
00:52Maybe O'ahu.
00:53Maybe you know Honolulu.
00:54I guarantee you have not heard of Kohala.
00:56It's a very small community.
00:58But that's what makes it so special.
01:00And I love my homeland.
01:03There are a few phrases that I learned from the Gugandji people.
01:10That are very similar to the values that we have in Hawai'i of
01:14He li'i ka aina he kaua ke kanaka.
01:17How in that culture, they believe that you do not own the land.
01:22He li'i ka aina he kaua ke kanaka means land is chief and man is servant.
01:27And that is something that is instilled I think in many kanaka, maoli,
01:31or many indigenous or native persons of Hawai'i.
01:34That it is cyclical.
01:36And I think it's also honest to say that I'm very grateful for my position.
01:42And that truthfully not everyone is able to make an impact.
01:46That's a fact.
01:47And the fact that I am in this position.
01:50And I get to combine my joy for filmmaking with my passion of advocacy.
01:55Specifically of course for my home country and my home state.
01:59It was a no brainer for this project.
02:01And I'm very grateful for everyone on this panel and AMB stream.
02:04For allowing me not only to work on this but learn.
02:08And I think I represent the next generation of reef builders.
02:14Professor David Smith.
02:16I've heard this little rumor.
02:18I want to know if you could clarify because we heard about it in the movie.
02:22That climate change is an issue and is a problem happening today.
02:27I've been hearing about it for a long time.
02:29And not everyone is on the same page about it.
02:32But why does this type of work mean so much to you?
02:38Why is, what drives your passion for reef restoration?
02:42Yeah thanks very much.
02:43And like was just said actually I feel very privileged to be in a field where I have the opportunity to study coral reefs.
02:50I feel even more privileged and a bit awkward sitting on a stage like this as well.
02:53My life is usually underwater in a wetsuit.
02:55So this is quite unusual for me.
02:57But you know you can argue, well some would argue that climate change is due to different types of reasoning.
03:07And most people probably would not.
03:09But certainly climate change is happening.
03:11It's having a big impact on coral reefs.
03:13And this work is really important because we know climates are changing.
03:18It's debatable by some why that is the case.
03:20But we also know that if an ecosystem is to stand a chance to survive it needs to be as productive and as biodiverse as possible.
03:29We also know that over the last 30 years we've lost half our reefs around the world.
03:34And if they're going to stand the test of time then we need to get them in the best possible shape possible so they have a chance to survive.
03:41And that's where coral restoration comes in really.
03:43This is what we need to think about.
03:45We have a real good chance to get them into the next century.
03:49So I've spent most of my life documenting the demise of coral reefs.
03:52Now I have the opportunity to work with talented people to make a difference.
03:56Mindy, coral reefs and cats.
03:59That's not usually two things that go together.
04:02Yet, Sheba is, as a brand, is so passionate about this and trying to save the corals.
04:11And I wanted to know why the brand and you are so passionate about it and how you got involved with it all.
04:17You know, Sheba as a brand is constantly looking for ways to elevate the game.
04:23Whether that's the cat food products we make or finding the opportunities to have bigger impact in the world that we exist in.
04:31And I think as you guys just saw, coral restoration and the amazing people on the front lines of this battle.
04:39That is truly extraordinary.
04:41And that's a story that we want to be a part of.
04:43And so going all the way back to 2021 when we launched Sheba Hope Grows.
04:48Being able to use our platform as a brand to help tell that story.
04:53To help inspire hope and create action.
04:56That's what we're looking to do.
04:58Doctor? Do we call him Doc?
05:00Doc's fine.
05:02Doc's good.
05:04Film captures both the successes and challenges of reef restoration.
05:07What does Reef Builders show about the reality of the work?
05:10Because as you're watching, a little bit of it also comes off.
05:15Like this is easy.
05:16Like we can just fund this.
05:18Like this is not like a hard thing to do.
05:20And yet it seems like the most difficult thing in the world to do.
05:24Can you talk a little bit about that?
05:25Doing the reef restoration is incredibly hard work.
05:28Now, we're so fortunate that the Sheba team and the Mars team have developed this technology.
05:34This methodology that really brings the possibility of coral restoration to the rest of the world.
05:41The video footage from Indonesia is absolutely incredible.
05:45I spoke to that a little bit in the film.
05:47But being there in person, I guarantee, is something you can't even describe.
05:53And this film got pretty dang close.
05:55But still, it's not Hollywood sort of synthesis on there.
06:03It truly is something that's absolute.
06:05It's real life.
06:06It's real life. It's absolutely real life.
06:08And trying to bring that to Hawaii where the reality sets in.
06:13We're working in this high wave energy environment.
06:15We have complicated and complex governmental structure.
06:20And just all those setbacks that we felt.
06:23I think the movie did a real good job at sort of bringing that out.
06:27And it made me start to kind of cry when we're pulling the reef stars out.
06:32It's the sun setting.
06:33It's tough.
06:34So I do really appreciate the film showing sort of that reality.
06:38Not just for Hawaii, but for Kenya and everywhere else.
06:41But I mean, the tool is powerful.
06:43Very powerful.
06:44If I can jump onto that.
06:46I think there were sunset moments.
06:49Where, and I think as a young person, I feel like I'm inheriting a world that is on fire.
06:54And it is. It really is.
06:57But what I love about this documentary is that it shows that there still is hope.
07:02That for so long, I have also believed that the rehabilitation and the restoration space
07:08is somewhat owned by an older scientific community.
07:13And it would be for naught, actually.
07:17If not for community and local and indigenous.
07:22And people who are from that community also helping hands.
07:26It would not work.
07:28And that is something that is incredibly unique to the Sheep of Hope Grows program.
07:32That the people of Bontasua, Indonesia, they feel ownership.
07:37And that is not just a band-aid.
07:40That is a true solution.
07:42And that is what we hope to bring to Hawaii.
07:45And that is what we feel, I think, at Juliana Koro, if I can be so bold.
07:50That is the goal.
07:53To feel that we are in charge of saving our own coral reefs.
07:59I think she just called you old, Dave.
08:01I think she did.
08:03Give me a side-eye as well, just to apologize.
08:06To the youngest one at the end of the panel, Stephen.
08:09Definitely not.
08:11Stephen, this goes into filmmaking aspects.
08:14You know, listen.
08:16The movie, I didn't know a lot about coral reefs.
08:19I know I seem like a genius, but I'm not.
08:21I don't know a lot about this.
08:23And aside from putting it in terms that I can understand,
08:26you also make bold choices to focus on the people.
08:30And I wanted you to talk about focusing on the people.
08:33Because it's communities that will save this.
08:37Not just one single person.
08:39Or one single entity.
08:41I mean, that's how we connect, isn't it, in the world?
08:43We tell stories.
08:45We look at each other in the face.
08:48The first conversations I had with Dave Smith were very much eye-opening to me.
08:52I was kind of daunted by this idea of telling a story about corals.
08:56It doesn't go anywhere.
08:58It can't talk to you.
09:00It hasn't got eyes.
09:02And Dave told me that this is a community-led project.
09:06The whole thing is giving this out to the community.
09:09So that was music to my ears.
09:11And I've got an amazing story.
09:13When we went to Bontasseur for the first time,
09:16we led down these dusty paths on this tiny island.
09:19There's 400 souls on this island.
09:21Completely tight-knit little community.
09:23Narrow alleys and everything else.
09:25We're led into this dark room.
09:27And I met Sam Aila for the first time.
09:29And I instantly connected.
09:31Because when you look someone in the face,
09:33you can read their story.
09:35And I read his story.
09:37But it was only when we were at his house,
09:39and we're talking,
09:41and I'm listening to his life story.
09:43And he just casually said,
09:45this house is at the end of the island.
09:47And he just said,
09:49yeah, there were two more houses down there.
09:51They've gone.
09:53And the impact of Coral Reef then
09:55just smacked me between the eyes.
09:57It's like, wow.
09:59Coral Reefs to these people,
10:01losing Coral Reefs to these people,
10:03is everything.
10:05And that's what just opened the film up.
10:07And for me, drove the film.
10:09Looking at...
10:11There's so many beautiful shots in this.
10:13And I wanted to ask
10:15anyone who wants to take this.
10:17I think we're all going
10:19deep-sea diving after this.
10:21We're all going to try it.
10:23What was some of the most stunning imagery
10:25that, when presented,
10:27that really struck you personally?
10:29Because this is all another world
10:31that we don't know about,
10:33because we're not underwater every day.
10:35But was there anything that really struck you,
10:37just images-wise?
10:39I'll talk about sound design.
10:41There is the sound of a healthy reef.
10:43And then there is the sound
10:45of silence down there.
10:47When you see the rubble
10:49and the white coral,
10:51that is something that is so special.
10:53And I believe you can speak to this as well.
10:55That's true sounds from those reefs, right?
10:57Yeah.
10:59Those sounds are actually recordings
11:01from the site that the film was taken.
11:03Yeah, there is a music to...
11:05If I can be corny,
11:07there's a music to the ocean.
11:09And that's something that I've experienced
11:11freediving, and it's something that
11:13also is a bit of a measurable success.
11:15That when you hear
11:17the sounds of life,
11:19it means that you have
11:21a diversity of coral,
11:23and that our reef stars are working.
11:25I mean, that's an impossible question.
11:27The favorite shot...
11:29I mean, for me,
11:31I think all of the sites were extraordinary,
11:33but the Great Barrier Reef is
11:35the Great Barrier Reef.
11:37And being in that place, for me,
11:39was just incredible.
11:41But also, to witness that
11:43dichotomy between
11:45the indigenous,
11:47First Nations people who live there,
11:49and this semi-industrial kind of
11:51process,
11:53the tourist process.
11:55And Dave, you can talk a bit about how
11:57your spin on that
11:59is very much a positive thing.
12:01And actually,
12:03thousands, if not millions of people
12:05visit the Great Barrier Reef and are
12:07witnessing this reef star
12:09restoration right on site.
12:11The scientists rub shoulders
12:13with the tourists,
12:15and they see it happening.
12:17Absolutely, it's an outreach
12:19at the same time.
12:21Mindy, is freediving part of
12:23your resume now?
12:25Did you try it out at all during the process?
12:27Maybe we can go
12:29train together. Maybe instead of
12:31answering that question...
12:33I loved your last question, and the one
12:35that stands out to me, and I know
12:37I'm the brand person, but
12:39that hope shot to me,
12:41every time I see that, it just
12:43gives me chills. And I think
12:45the reason for that is the fact that
12:47that was started back in 2021.
12:49And if you look, if you go onto
12:51Google Maps or something like that, you can just see
12:53how it continues to
12:55grow and build year over year.
12:57And I think this film
12:59is about how can you take that and
13:01create that in even more places, but
13:03to me, the fact that you see
13:05that, and it's something that
13:07folks like this have created,
13:09I mean, it just gives me chills
13:11because it's tangible and it's real.
13:13Yeah, let me just say something about that hope.
13:15That hope is 50 meters
13:17wide and 50 meters
13:19long. And I've seen it a lot.
13:21How long is that in feet?
13:23150 feet?
13:25Thank you for that.
13:27Yeah.
13:29And I dived it hundreds of times,
13:31and every time I see it, I get so excited.
13:33And every time I see it, I see it quite emotional.
13:35But actually,
13:37okay, I did have a couple of problems
13:39with the words hope.
13:41I was going to say, Dave, this is like, you were fully supportive.
13:43I was not fully supportive.
13:45I'm the scientific
13:47authenticity piece behind it, really.
13:49What are we doing using this
13:51billboard? But you know,
13:53fish can't spell, so it doesn't
13:55really make any difference to what it was.
13:57And actually,
13:59the reef acts as a normal reef.
14:01It just happens to be in the word hope.
14:03You heard it from our Indonesian colleague,
14:05what it meant to him as well.
14:07It's emotional. You see it from my point of view
14:09as a scientist, it's emotional.
14:11You see it from the local community, it's emotional.
14:13It really resonates with everyone
14:15that we don't have to keep documenting
14:17demise. We can look to the future
14:19and find a pathway. And that still makes
14:21me quite emotional now.
14:23Clearly, he's never seen Moana. Fish
14:25can't spell very well.
14:29It was a little indie.
14:33Most important question, and it's
14:35going to go to each one of you. We'll start
14:37with Stephen and work our way down.
14:39There's always a call to action.
14:41You want people to take something away from this movie.
14:43What is it that you want people to take away?
14:45I wouldn't say it's so much a call to action.
14:47I think it's more that
14:49coral reefs matter, and they matter
14:51to millions of people.
14:53Yes, they're beautiful.
14:55Yes, we can dive on them on holiday
14:57and admire them, but to millions
14:59of people, it's their livelihoods,
15:01it's their food, it's their protection
15:03for their homes. It means everything.
15:05And that's what I want people to take away
15:07from this, really. What I wanted people to take
15:09away is when a brand like
15:11Sheba puts
15:13their effort and their weight
15:15behind a cause like this, it
15:17does incredible things across the world
15:19for the people in Pontesua, for the people in Hawaii,
15:21for the people in Kenya.
15:23There's a whole list of places that
15:25the Sheba brand has come into communities
15:27to empower them,
15:29and that's been extremely strong.
15:31And if more brands
15:33follow suit, this world,
15:35we can turn a lot of things around in this world,
15:37not just the demise of coral reefs.
15:39Wow, how do I follow
15:41that up?
15:43I was not paid to say that. Thanks, Doc.
15:47My hope from this would be
15:49that people watch this
15:51and have a feeling of hope,
15:53and hope that there's a solution,
15:55and hope in these
15:57amazing people on the front lines
15:59of this, and that with that
16:01they will share the story and create
16:03the movement. Okay, so I'm going to
16:05go somewhere different then.
16:07All my answers already taken.
16:09So I'll go with Steve, and I'm just
16:11looking at every single person in this audience.
16:13Your life, the air that you breathe
16:15depends on the ocean, and that ocean
16:17depends on coral reefs. So yes,
16:19the billion people who get their livelihoods
16:21from the fish and protection from the
16:23corals themselves are directly impacted,
16:25but you're directly impacted.
16:27If you lose reefs, your lives are going to be impacted,
16:29and it's your responsibility to do something
16:31as well. And by having someone like Sheba
16:33come behind us and help tell the story
16:35with amazing storytellers, then it
16:37brings it to life.
16:41That's the toughest one, right?
16:43I think
16:45it's easiest to do nothing.
16:49It is easiest to
16:51hope
16:53and not put anything
16:55behind it.
16:57And I'm grateful
16:59to be a part of the solution, but
17:01I come to you with no college
17:03degree. I come to you at
17:0524.
17:07I come to you having
17:09just a passion
17:11for
17:13living
17:15and a passion for my homeland,
17:17and that is enough.
17:23I am also
17:2524.
17:27Why are you laughing? It's true.
17:29It's 100% true.
17:31Listen,
17:33I feel a little motivated.
17:35I feel like I can
17:37kick some butt out there.
17:39I feel like this is
17:41one of many causes that we need
17:43to do in order to
17:45save our planet, and
17:47thank you for sharing it with us.
17:49And thank you to this wonderful
17:51audience, among the first
17:53to see and
17:55watch this wonderful film.
17:57And there'll be more
17:59announcements coming soon. So one more time,
18:01ladies and gentlemen, all the filmmakers
18:03and brands behind
18:07this wonderful movie,
18:09and we're going to
18:11go outside
18:13and build a
18:15restart. No, we're not. We're going to just go outside.
18:17Thank you for coming today, and
18:19enjoy the rest of South by Southwest.