Family and friends of an award-winning Toronto-born filmmaker say that completing the young man’s unfinished documentary that highlights the dire situation facing the world’s sharks has become their own life’s work.
Brian and Sandy Stewart took over the role of producers of their son Rob’s third film, Sharkwater Extinction, after the 37-year-old died during a diving accident that took place during filming.
“Tragically, Rob died in a dive accident in January 2017 while he was filming in the Florida Keys,” says Sandy. “It was just a terrible and preventable tragedy.”
The original release date for the film was supposed to be in September 2017 and his family wanted to make sure that it would be screened despite the delay. His father said that the task was a challenge for them.
“He was so much better at this than us. He had an ability to engage people and inspire audiences and that’s just what the film we hope will do as well. I think he would be proud of what we have.”
Sharkwater Extinction is a different type of documentary because it follows Rob’s life as he uncovers the secrets of the shark industry and aims to change the public’s perception of sharks.
Rob left plenty of notes in his email and computer for his parents to follow, so they weren’t starting from scratch.
“He did fantastic notes, thank god. There were arcs for every scene he wanted to shoot, he had location shoots and specific shots he wanted to get and we had to match that with the footage he had shot to see if the story could be told.”
Sandy says that her son’s love of sharks and ocean life began when he was very little.
“He travelled extensively and he just loved animals and a lot of life and anything that moved since he was very, very tiny. He had the opportunity when he was young to swim in the Caribbean in the reefs with all those beautiful fish and met a reef shark when he was about eight or nine years old. It changed his world and he kind of fell in love with those creatures.”
One of the main things that Brian says he wants audiences to understand is that sharks aren’t the monsters that many forms of media paint them as.
“Rob never saw sharks as a villain and they aren’t,” he says. “Anyone that ever dies is dying from a loss of blood, they aren’t dying because a shark tried to eat them; it just doesn’t happen. Some of the sharks that we demonize, like hammerhead sharks, couldn’t eat anyone if they tried, they just don’t have the mouth or teeth large enough.”
Brian says that his son was also a very down-to-earth and caring person.
“He was very humble. None of this celebrity status ever got to him. We see it in the notes that are still sent to us today. They remember him as the guy who was more concerned about who he was with rather than about himself. He had a way and ability to engage people that way.”
Both Brian and Sandy say that they are also proud of their son’s work to shine a spotlight on one of the world’s most misunderstood creatures.
“Rob tried to show sharks in a different light and his iconic shot of him hugging sharks has probably done more to change that perception than any movie or scientist in the entire world.”
Rob Stewart’s other films, Sharkwater and Revolution, have won dozens of awards at film festivals throughout the world.
Sharkwater Extinction is available in theatres nationwide starting on October 19 and is also being screened on Friday night and on September 27 at the Calgary International Film Festival. For more information on the film, check out the official website.
(With files from Stephanie Wiebe)
