Watching the first few minutes of Sironomelia was rather confusing to me, as we only got small glimpses of what was labeled to be an Arctic Nato submarine base with some underwater shots. But as the video progressed, we see a mermaid figure swimming around the waters of the base, completely alone.
I think back to the lessons we have discussed in class before, specifically on the relationships humans have with the ocean. Humans have historically neglected the ocean’s past, treating it as a history-less abyss devoid of life. However, that is far from the truth. Not only is it a historical wonder that holds all the secrets to life from millions of years ago, it is also full of life. However, if there is one thing about humans, they will do anything to conquer and politicize land that isn’t theirs to begin with. We talked about borders with coastlines in Eric Paul Roorda’s The Ocean Reader and in Helen Rodzwadoski’s “Introduction: in Vast Expanses: A History of the Oceans. Both of these readings emphasize the relationships humans have cultivated with the oceans. Dismissive, but also aggressive. What I notice in Sironomelia is the absence of humans—and with it, the absence of destruction and greed. We see a mermaid traversing this abandoned base, and I speculate that the intention of the film was that it takes place in the near future, devoid of humans.
Sironomelia tells the story of what kind of life prevails: humans are but a speck in comparison to the geological history of the Earth. But what does prevail is nature. What will prevail is the oceans. The mermaid we see is at peace because she doesn’t have to worry about the destruction that humans once brought to her world.
Great post! I think you really understand this film, and I can see that it matters to you in the context of the class. This blog post could certainly serve the foundation for essay two, as you are reading it in the context of our learning and have a real strong interpretation of what the film offers. Just add in some close reading, and you’ll be good to go!
Hi Annie! This is a great post! Humans, in their effort to understand and explore, carve a path of destruction. I can only Imagine the mermaids fate if she had tried to explore the base when it was full of human activity. What fate would have befallen her? Instead, and luckily, we get to watch the mermaids explore at her own pace, in utter peace and comfort in the cold arctic waters.
Hey Annie, thank you for sharing. I completely agree with what you said, “[…]if there is one thing about humans, they will do anything to conquer and politicize land that isn’t theirs to begin with”, which I believe perfectly encapsulates the message behind the video. The wild thing about the ocean however, is that it is nearly impossible for humans to conquer the ocean, as we can’t live within bodies of water, at least not yet, or very comfortably. I also found it interesting how there was no sign of human life anywhere within the video. One take that I took on the absence of humanity was initially thinking that this was a post-apocalyptic world, one where a mutant mermaid created by the military was then abandoned and left to fend for itself in a world where it shouldn’t have existed to begin with. Beautiful take on your post.