Available to watch now, Dolphin Island is a film that came into existence in a rather unusual way. Instead of following the usual long drawn out process, the idea came together pretty quickly in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. The storm caused absolute devastation to the Grand Bahama island back in September 2019 and left the locals in dire need of aid. Rather than the regular charitable handouts, the local government encouraged film producer and writer Shaked Berenson to bring a film production to the island. The hope was that the movie would help boost tourism, bring in new trade, and re-stimulate the economy. Berenson then went away and worked up a project with a focus on working with, and hiring, the locals themselves. The end result is a feel-good film that the whole family can enjoy.
The story centers on young teenager Annabel who has lived with her fisherman grandfather ever since both her parents tragically died a decade before. The pair live on the boat that they use for fishing, on a paradise island. Life in the sun is fun for the duo who together also run Annabel’s late parent’s marine biology venture of which the star attraction is a dolphin named Mitzy. Annabel and Mitzy share a special bond and everyone in their little island community adores the family unit. Trouble comes to paradise in the form of Annabel’s maternal grandparents however, who are set to ensure that their granddaughter doesn’t make the same mistakes as their daughter. A bitter and underhanded custody battle ensues, and it’s left to Annabel and the misfit island community to prove that love can conquer all.
It’s a story that has been told countless times, and most of Dolphin Island plays as a “film of the day” lifetime movie, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By making itself so accessible, it enables itself to be watched by all ages and, as much as for the characters within the story itself, will help foster a connection across the generations. You also can’t beat spending eighty minutes sitting looking at a blissfully beautiful island, especially when holidays have been off of the cards for the last year. Dolphin Island offers exactly the kind of harmless escapism that we’re all craving right now, and whilst it may be a little rough around the edges, it’s abundantly clear that a lot of care and love has gone into making it.
If you seek out Dolphin Island and decide to give it a whirl, you also get the added bonus of supporting The Bahamas, as a portion of the profits are going to the local cast and crew. It’s not often that you get to watch a pleasantly entertaining movie and help out a worthy cause; here you get both with little effort.
Dolphin Island is available now at https://dolphinislandmovie.com/watch-now/
Dolphin Island
Summary
A feel-good film that is also doing good, Dolphin Island offers great family viewing.
