From the old sailor to the sharks: four films to understand what is at stake in the Mediterranean

PalmaThe third edition of Cine Consciente, the environmental film series promoted by Mallorca Preservation, kicks off this Thursday, September 24, in Palma with a program of four documentaries and discussions with experts. The screenings will take place at the Estudi General Lul·lià and will address issues such as the conservation of wetlands, the disappearance of the great sharks of the Mediterranean, soil regeneration, and the recovery of the Mediterranean monk seal.

The series, organized by Mallorca Preservation with the collaboration of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival and, this year, also the Estudi General Lul·lià, will run until November 3. All sessions will begin at 6 p.m., will be free with prior registration, and will end with a discussion with specialists linked to the theme of each documentary.

The first screening will be Wetlands, the Legacy of Luc Hoffmann, focusing on the figure of the ornithologist and scientist Luc Hoffmann, one of the great defenders of wetlands in Europe and the world. The documentary focuses on the importance of these ecosystems, especially rich in biodiversity and fundamental for both numerous species and human well-being. After the screening, there will be a discussion with Carlota Viada, a biologist at WWF, and Juan Calvo, director of the Water Alliance.

The second session will arrive on October 7 with Sharks of the Mediterranean: A Vanishing Kingdom, about the disappearance of the great sharks of the Mediterranean. The film investigates the causes of their decline and asks whether these species still survive in some corners of the Mediterranean. The discussion will feature Biel Morey, a marine biologist and co-founder of Save the Med, and Agustí Torres, president of SharkMed and a photographer and documentarian.

On October 21, Kiss the Ground will be screened, a film about soil regeneration through agriculture and its role in the face of climate change. The film shows how recovering soil health can contribute to storing carbon, recovering ecosystems, and promoting more resilient food systems. The subsequent conversation will be led by Elena Baraza, a doctor from the UIB, and Miquel Serra, a field technician at APAEMA for more than a decade.

The series will close on November 3rd with The Odyssey of the Monk Seal, a film that combines live action and animation to explain the efforts to recover the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the most threatened species on the planet. After the screening, the directors Núria Abad Rivas and Marta Hierro Bravo will participate, along with Joan Mayol, an expert and pioneer of nature conservation in Mallorca.

This final session will also be part of the program for the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, which this year will be held from October 28th to November 4th. The four screenings will take place at the Estudi General Lul·lià, in Palma, with free admission upon prior registration through Eventbrite.