Guardians of the Gulf (2020)

The Gulf of Mexico has long been affected by hurricanes, oil spills, overfishing, and agricultural run-off, but continues to support one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems, with over 15,000 species. This resilience is tenuous because-like any relationship-only so much can be taken without giving back. In Guardians of the Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico is given a voice by her caretakers to tell a story of generosity and strength. These conservationists, fisherpeople, tour operators, chefs, and student leaders strive to improve sustainability in their work and community. Through action, they are seeing change. Through this change, they see hope. The guardians show that action can result in tangible change, and this change inspires hope. Their voices ebb and flow throughout the narrative, moving with the tide of every advance toward sustainability and retreat with each disaster. With hope, more people are motivated to take action, and the wave of sustainability continues to swell. An all-female crew embraced the cold and rainy shoot days in Alabama, the lashing wind in Veracruz and the sunny skies in Texas to visualize the dynamism of the Gulf of Mexico. Mary Kay Inc., the executive producer of Guardians of the Gulf, has been passionately committed to worldwide awareness and actions for the protection of the environment for decades. Working collaboratively with The Nature Conservancy and an all-female film crew that included Cait Martin Newnham and Ulla Laidlaw (Directors), Aine Corby and Jenny Williams (Producers), and Gayle Ye (Director of Photography), Mary Kay produced Guardians of the Gulf with a goal of harnessing the power of documentary storytelling to shine a light on a bio-diverse ecosystem and the guardians who work tirelessly to protect this hardworking body of water.