Dave Rastovich has long been an environmental advocate. As a person who spends a lot of time in nature, he’s keenly aware of the damage we humans are doing in our quest for cash and comfort. He, along with partner Lauren Hill (who was behind one of the funniest surf films in a long time) and director/cinematographer/photographer Andrew Buckley partnered up with Patagonia to make a film called Kin.
“Like many Australian families, the ocean is where Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich’s family connect – through surf and play,” the film’s description reads. “Just a few generations ago, the ocean was considered too big to fail. Now with so many threats, the ocean seems too big to fix. In search of solutions, Lauren and her family travel to Lord Howe Island Marine Park, one of Australia’s most protected marine sanctuaries.”
The film was part of a series of events fittingly called “Protect Our Oceans.” A handful of other films, live music, and conversations were part of it, too. The goal of the Protect Our Oceans campaign is to support the goal to fully protect 30 percent of Australia’s ocean by 2030 and prioritize First Nations stewardship of Sea Country.
“The focus of the campaign falls on the Coral Sea, which in 2013 saw the biggest single downgrade of a marine protected area anywhere in the world,” Sean Doherty wrote for Patagonia, “an area three times the size of Victoria being handed back to the oil, gas and fishing industries.”
In Kin, the stars of the film headed to an island off Australia’s east coast. It’s a special place; one that’s been protected from exploitation for decades. It’s a glimpse at what parts of our world could look like without our prying fingers. “We got to see what happens when we get it right,” Hill said.
