‘Trapped by Plastic’ is a short documentary film about award-winning Photographer Mandy Barker, whose work highlights the devastating and far-reaching impact of marine plastic pollution. We met Mandy in 2020 after she completed an expedition with scientists to Henderson Island (South Pacific Ocean) and some of their findings had been published. Featuring Mandy’s photographs and behind-the-scenes insights that span her decade-long career, the film shows how she developed a distinctive ‘call to action’ using strikingly colourful, intricate images to confront viewers with unpalatable truths.
In February 2021 the London Film Academy hosted an inaugural screening for its Filmmakers’ Club members. The film was shown in Brussels as part of the European institutions’ Together-Ensemble programme, and First Move Productions co-hosted a high level panel session on ending marine plastic pollution at EU Green Week. The film featured in the COP26 and COP28 Blue Zone installation of the British Council, which also shared the film online, notably as part of activities in New Zealand, East Asia and China.
‘Trapped by Plastic’ has been selected for multiple festivals namely:
- Blue Water Film Festival 2021
- VUB Flagey Festival 2021
- Legendary DOC Independent Film Festival 2021 (Best Mini Doc award)
- BC Environmental Film Festival 2021 (honourable mention)
- Women Over 50 Film Festival 2021 (sponsored by Belgium’s Delegation of Flanders to the UK)
- V.i.Z. Film Fest 2022 (finalist best editing and best original soundtrack)
- EKOFILM 2022 (finalist)
- Green Screen Environmental Film Festival (T&T) 2023
- Cannes Indie Film Festival 2023 (finalist)
- I Am Tomorrow International Film Festival 2023 (Best Social Impact Documentary award)
- Ocean Coast Film Festival 2023
- Mirada Corta Film Festival 2024
The film features in multiple exhibitions of Mandy Barker’s work worldwide, including one hosted by the National Trust at the Fox Talbot
Museum, Lacock (UK). It is available for online viewing on the WaterBear network and the platform curated by the British
Columbia Environmental Film Festival. It was included in Ocean Week Canada 2023 and was screened in the Pitcairn Islands for the opening of the Pitcairn Marine Science Base in September 2023.
