The Sea Around Us
Post-screening conversation with UCLA Design Media Arts Professor Rebeca Méndez, UCLA English Professor Elizabeth DeLoughrey, and investigative journalist Rosanna Xia
Co-presented with the UCLA Department of Media Arts
Beneath the glittering surface of the Pacific lies a world of ancient kinship—and a hidden legacy of destruction. Guided by the abalone and the voices of the Tongva and Acjachemen peoples, this immersive journey into the California depths confronts a half-century of chemical dumping off the coast of Catalina Island, asking us to face what we have done and find the courage to do better.
Created by artist Rebeca Méndez, The Sea Around Us is an immersive cinematic experience born from the shocking revelation that over 500,000 barrels of toxic chemicals—including the pesticide DDT+, acid sludge, and radioactive waste—were dumped into the ocean off Santa Catalina Island between 1947 and 1972. Méndez's vision weaves together underwater footage, Indigenous song, and poetic storytelling into a call to action for all who share this fragile, living sea.
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♿ Accessibility information
All public programs are free and made possible by a major gift from an anonymous donor.
Major support is provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, and the Elizabeth Bixby Janeway Foundation. Additional support is provided by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and all Hammer members.
Digital presentation of Hammer public programs is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
Hammer public programs are presented online in partnership with the #KeepThePromise campaign—a movement promoting social justice and human rights through the arts.
