Carly Wilson's documentary Rubber Jellyfish exposes the hidden toll of helium balloon releases on marine life. The film is an independent, small-scale production of top-notch quality–deeply researched and finely made. Drawing on personal anecdotes, field investigation, and interviews with scientists, conservationists and industry representatives, it leaves viewers with a clear and poignant understanding of how something as seemingly innocent as a balloon can be lethal to sea creatures.
The film opens beautifully, with slow, luminous footage of sea turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean, accompanied by Wilson's narration. This intimate beginning sets the tone for a work that is as emotional as it is informative. Wilson, pregnant at the time of filming, tells us of her lifelong love of the sea, as well as her concern for the future of her unborn child. We immediately appreciate how personal this film is for her.
From there, the documentary quickly moves into its investigative core. Wilson exposes the balloon industry's long-standing reliance on outdated, unreviewed research from the late 1980s that claims latex balloons are biodegradable. That may hold true for balloons that fall to the ground, but the film–through interviews with marine biologists and ocean scientists–shows that in seawater, latex behaves much like plastic, breaking down only slowly, if at all. Balloon fragments collected during beach cleanups are shown to closely resemble jellyfish, a resemblance that proves deadly to sea turtles and seabirds.
One of the film's strongest threads follows Wilson's exchanges with Gunter Blum, a balloon supplier and vice president of the Balloon Artists & Suppliers Association of Australasia. She first meets with him to get his response to evidence challenging the industry's claim that latex balloons biodegrade quickly. Blum remains skeptical, citing a single, non–peer-reviewed 1989 study commissioned by the rubber industry. In a later meeting, she shows him some jellyfish-like balloon fragments she has collected from beaches and points out the flaws in that study. Blum admits he hasn't fully read it and accepts the copy Wilson offers. It's heartening to see Blum gradually come around.
The film also showcases grassroots activism. We accompany Wilson on beach cleanups and wildlife rescue operations. We meet eco-conscious business owners who have stopped selling balloons despite the financial hit this imposes on their businesses. One particularly memorable interview is with the founders of Eco Party Box, who conducted their own tests to determine whether balloons biodegrade in water and found that they do not. Wilson also interviews staff from the Australian Seabird Rescue Hospital, who describe in harrowing detail how sea turtles that ingest balloons develop a condition known as "float syndrome." The condition is so named because it fills turtles' bodies with gas, preventing them from diving and feeding.
My one criticism of the film is that it takes a several-minute detour into a topic only marginally related to its main focus. About halfway through, Wilson tells us what she learned, in the course of her research, about the dangers of helium inhalation and balloon-related child suffocation. This part of the film is informative and poignant. It's undoubtedly vital for parents and the public to be aware of this issue. But the segment feels out of place in its current form. Since its only connection to the issue of harms done to sea life by balloon releases–helium–is at best tangential, it would have been better to relegate it to the briefest of mentions.
But the film regains its rhythm when Wilson turns to the question of change. She documents efforts to ban balloon releases at local and national levels, interviews campaigners, and even engages with environmentally minded professionals within the balloon industry. She talks with members of the Pro Environment Balloon Alliance, a group of balloon professionals who not only oppose balloon release ceremonies but also campaign for proper balloon disposal, showing that calls for reform are now coming from within the industry as well.
The film ends on a hopeful note, with the closing title cards highlighting many positive developments since Wilson began her project. These include numerous balloon release bans and major retailers ending helium balloon sales. We even learn that Gunter Blum has been converted to the cause, having joined Pro Environment Balloon Alliance after the film's release. Wilson closes by returning to her personal perspective: her family, her enduring love of the ocean and her hope for a more conscientious future.
Rubber Jellyfish is a powerful, eye-opening work of environmental advocacy. It is thoroughly researched, well made and engaging. Yet nearly two years after its release on YouTube, it has received only about 200 views. It deserves much wider attention for both its message and its integrity.
*******
If you enjoyed this review, try Stella: The Mushroom Girl from Outer Space. Think Snow White meets the Hardy Boys.
