What Would Darwin Think? Man vs. Nature in the Galapagos

This short, beautiful film is not, as its title suggests, about evolution but about the effect of tourism on the Galapagos Islands, the series of islands 600 miles west of Ecuador. Ninety-seven percent of the land is protected national park land. In 1839, Charles Darwin spent about five weeks there, after which time he wrote On the Origin of Species. The text is based in part on his observations of the islands' pristine ecosystem, which is now threatened. Over the last few decades, tourism in the Galapagos has blossomed. Ironically, tourists (usually ecotourists there to appreciate the unique isolation abundant with flora and fauna) are not the issue. The problem is political and economic, including the large numbers of service providers and profiteers who have flocked to the islands to meet tourists' needs, the commodities required to sustain tourists as well as nontourists plus the garbage created by both, and the mainland government's bewildered neglect of the whole situation. Filled with breathtaking views of land, sea, and wildlife, this film could stand on its aesthetic quality alone. Add the thought-provoking concepts that human life introduces, and you have a winning program suitable for any audience. Highly recommended.—Diane Kazlauskas, Univ. of North Florida Lib., Jacksonville