Published in Dive Log, October 1999

Aliens of the Sea, review by Lin Sutherland

A few years ago while on board Spoilsport I met an enthusiastic filmmaker Pawel Achtel. Like so many people he was filming a documentary which he would produce.

Well, many keen videographers set out with stars in their eyes but only a few ever succeed. Pawel spent two years filming his documentary "Aliens of the Sea" ad as much time organising and editing. Now a few years later, a bit poorer for his troubles Pawel happily announced to me he has a finished product.

Aliens of the Sea is a delightful mix of underwater vision, blended with a little abstract topside footage. It is delivered in a way where many of the shots speak for themselves but an informative narrative offers a soft documentary style. Pawel has chosen to use music in place of long narratives written to complement vision.

Aliens of the Sea runs for about 50 minutes and is what I would call easy viewing. It is a courageous effort and not only superbly presented but well executed production all around. The mixture of underwater footage is diverse and even for an addicted underwater observer.

Aliens of the Sea is a lovely piece of work to have for anyone who enjoys imagery underwater.

The video is available from retail shops and on the Internet.

Lin Sutherland is a world renowned underwater jurnalist, photographer, actress and model.