Press Release: 14 Women. 3,000 Nautical Miles. X Trillion Pieces of Plastic
X Trillion – a film following the renowned all-women ‘eXXpedition North Pacific’ to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – premieres on 1 May 2024 at Curzon Soho, in London.
The feature debut by Eleanor Church follows the gruelling journey of eXXpedition’s all-women crew led by British skipper and ocean advocate Emily Penn, as they sail 3,000 miles across the North Pacific Ocean through the densest accumulation of ocean plastic on the planet – in order to make the unseen, seen.
The Premiere event kicks off a number of screenings around the UK and the broadcast premiere will air on Warner Bros. Discovery (EMEA region, multiple territories) on World Ocean Day, 8th June 2024.
Screening Dates – click here for latest list of screening dates and venues.
The 14 women international crew was made up of scientists, filmmakers, circular-economists, engineers, teachers, packaging designers and creators – but very few were sailors.
It is a life-affirming story of adventure, discovery, science, solidarity and a call to action that burns with optimism.
Emily Penn, eXXpedition Director says: “We know that there is no silver bullet to solve the plastic problem. Our expeditions help people to understand the true challenge of ocean plastic pollution, so they can use their skills to solve it from sea to source. This voyage turned these incredible women into ambassadors for change, with the power to help transform our future. It’s amazing to see the impact they’ve achieved since!”
“We hope the film will take audiences with us on this journey, so that they too are inspired about all the ways they can be changemakers. We don’t need everyone to do everything, we need everyone to do something.”
Eleanor Church X Trillion Director, said: “We were a crew of women with different skills, goals and motivations, brought together to witness and record the true extent of the plastic pollution crisis – with a focus on micro plastics and their toxic impact on female bodies in particular. We all emerged transformed by the experience and are committed to telling the story of what we witnessed and working to find solutions.
“The film is about this global crisis, but more than that it highlights the crucial role women play in helping to change systems and find solutions to the big problems facing humanity.”
Produced by Verity Wislocki, the film explores the practical and emotional responses to one of the biggest global challenges of our time, as the crew leave families and land behind, to battle high seas, storms and sea sickness, and carry out cutting-edge microplastics research. For the first time the film turns the camera on the extent of the plastic pollution crisis in one of the most remote places on Earth.
As Michelle Byle, crew member and packaging designer, sums up in the film: “We are about as far away from civilisation as one can get. Yet here, all around us, is evidence of our daily lives on land. Our choices. Our purchases. This is your old toothbrush, my empty shampoo bottle, the lid to his coffee cup.”
The crew recorded an average of half a million pieces of microplastics per square kilometre here, and that was only on the surface. Who knows how much is in the 5,000 metres of water beneath. The scientific data they gathered has been used as part of ten international research projects.
eXXpedition North Pacific, in collaboration with TOMRA, was the 10th eXXpedition mission. The overall mission aboard Sea Dragon, a 72ft scientific exploration vessel included two voyage legs of which X Trillion is a film about the first. Leg 1: Oahu, Hawaii to Vancouver, British Columbia and Leg 2: Vancouver to Seattle where the journey ended.
It set out for answers to questions like: Where is the plastic coming from? What does it mean for our natural world and human health? And what can be done to solve it?
https://www.xtrillionfilm.com/pr
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For more information and to set up interviews or filming contact Emily Penn +44 7890 890475
Images for media use – as well as the film trailer – can be found here: https://www.xtrillionfilm.com/pr
Facebook: @XTrillionfilm / @exxpedition
Instagram: @XTrillionFilm / @exxpedition
X: @xtrillionfilm / @exxpedition
#eXXpedition #XTrillionfilm
About eXXpedition
eXXpedition is a not-for-profit organisation led by ocean advocate and sailor Emily Penn BEM on a mission to help people understand the true ocean plastic and toxic pollution problem, so they can use their skills to solve it from sea to source. Since the first eXXpedition sailing mission in 2014 across the Atlantic, 260 exceptional women have taken part in voyages to create their own narratives, contribute to global scientific studies and use their eXXpedition experience to drive change on land.
The Women Who Made Up The North Pacific Crew
The eXXpedition crew was made up of scientists, students, artists, filmmakers, business women, psychologists, actors, ocean activists and sustainability professionals, and novice as well as experienced sailors.
Whole Voyage:
Emily Penn, eXXpedition Co-Founder and Mission Director @missemilypenn / @emilypenn
Imogen Robinson, Skipper
Anna Strang, First Mate
Jessica MacIntosh, Deckhand
Shoreside:
Larissa Clark, Head of Communications @rissyclark
Soraya Abdel-Hadi, eXXpedition Office Manager @sorayaearth
Leg 1 – Hawaii to Vancouver (X Trillion film voyage):
Sally Earthrowl, Deputy Mission Leader @planetearthrowl
Emily Duncan, Head of Science
Eleanor Church, Filmmaker @larkrisepictures / @larkrisepacific
Jennifer Russell, Filmmaker
Rowan Henthorn, Scientist @ocean_row
Siri Ostvold, Designer @siriostvold / @siriostvo
Kristine Berg, Circular Economy Communicator @kristinemberg
Ana Jarc, Environmental Engineering Student
Michelle Byle, Designer @michellebyle
Karine Therrien, Yoga Instructor and Teacher
eXXpedition North Pacific Title Sponsor : TOMRA
Gold Sponsor: The EU Copernicus Marine Service (implemented by Mercator Ocean)
Silver Sponsors: Princess Yachts, Hawk Yachts, Iridium & Global Marine Network
Bronze Sponsors: Daedalus Yachts, Y.C O, Finisterre and Port of Vancouver
Partnerships for the expedition include UN Environment Clean Seas , Parley for the Oceans, 11th Hour Racing, Ocean Wise, Pangaea Explorations & Another World Adventures.
Deep thanks and gratitude to all eXXpedition friends, supporters, ambassadors and helpers who supported the North Pacific voyage, and subsequent eXXpedition projects, and who continue to create an impact tackling plastic pollution.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
ELEANOR CHURCH | DIRECTOR
Eleanor is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer and has been telling stories through her cameras for over 15 years. With a background in documentary, investigative and creative filmmaking and photography, the projects that she has worked on have taken her across the UK and the world. Eleanor works on a variety of projects, with a particular interest in stories that focus on society, environment, women, human rights, migration and supply chains. A number of her films have contributed to policy change – something she is very proud of. This is Eleanor’s first feature-length film.
VERITY WISLOCKI | PRODUCER
Verity has worked on films by Tim Burton, Alfonso Cuarón, Terry Gilliam, Anthony Minghella, Molly Manning-Walker and Yorgos Lanthimos. She produced Another News Story and was longlisted as Breakthrough Producer at the BIFAs.
Verity produced On Our Doorstep (premiere Leeds Film Festival), Stormskater (premiere Sheffield DocFest, online on Nowness, winner of Best Sport Film at Kendal Mountain Festival), and Nice To Meet You All (premiere Norwich Film Festival 2021, winner Best Mini Doc Award – Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Anti-Stigma Award – Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, shortlisted for Aesthetica Art Prize) as well as As For Me for BBH’s ‘Differently Does It’ short film strand. She Exec Produced Road Trip which has won multiple awards at film festivals. As well as launching X Trillion in UK cinemas she has numerous documentary and feature films in development.
EMILY PENN | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Emily is an ocean advocate and skipper who has spent over a decade exploring plastic pollution from the tropics to the Arctic. She has organised the largest ever community-led waste cleanup from a tiny Tongan island, trawled for microplastics on a voyage through the Northwest Passage, rounded the planet on the record-breaking biofuelled boat Earthrace, and worked on a sailing cargo ship trading western supplies for coconuts.
Emily runs her not-for-profit eXXpedition; a series of all-women voyages on a mission to help people understand the true ocean plastic and toxic pollution problem, so they can use their skills to solve it from sea to source. Since 2014, Emily has led 19 scientific research missions and developed upstream solutions on land with a network of changemakers, industry partners and government bodies. Her recently launched platform SHiFT.how, helps people and businesses navigate hundreds of solutions to find the ones that are best for them and take actions that result in less pollution in our ocean. For more information, please visit www.emilypenn.co.uk
About Warner Bros. Discovery:
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com
About Park Village:
Park Village is a multi-disciplinary creative production studio, offering Film production, photography, studios and events. With an enviable grade II listed studio in the heart of Camden, we boast a roster of world class directors and collaborators and have produced a multitude of award winning commercials, music videos, documentaries and global brand campaigns. Founded by renowned photographer and BAFTA award winning director Peter Webb in 1973, we continue to blend world class experience and award winning pedigree with future thinking, curiosity and innovation. For more information, please visit https://parkvillage.co.uk/
