What happens when 14 women sail 3,000 miles across the North Pacific Ocean to research and record the true extent of plastic pollution?

X Trillion is a feature documentary that follows their journey, capturing the highs and lows of this pioneering expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and AWA co-founder Larissa Clark was core team on the project and film!

About the voyage

“This North Pacific journey was the 10th mission run by eXXpedition, a non-profit organisation that focuses on all-women sailing research expeditions” says Larissa Clark, Director of Another World Adventures and Head of Communications for eXXpedition (2017-2023).

“It was an extraordinary feat to bring together an international crew of women including scientists, filmmakers, circular-economists, engineers, teachers, packaging designers and creators that would go to sea led by ocean advocate and eXXpedition co-founder Emily Penn.

Each crewmember brought specific skills to the expedition – but very few had previous sailing experience! It took a great effort to create and execute such a complex expedition with multiple partnerships in outreach and science and I enjoyed the all the highs and challenges of being part of the shoreside crew with Emily Penn, Soraya Abdel-Hadi and Tori Howse supported by our community of volunteers and interns.”

“At the time, there was much misunderstanding about the true problem of plastic pollution in our ocean, especially in areas like the North Pacific gyre which has coined the name ‘The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” due to the density of plastic in the water.

A key aim of the mission was to help people understand the extent and nature of the problem and I really enjoyed helping to bring this to life through storytelling across many channels in particular with Eleanor Church the creator of this fantastic film. Indeed, the land-based operati” 

Director, Eleanor Church, shared: “We were a crew of women with different skills, goals and motivations, brought together to witness and record the true extent of the plastic pollution crisis – with a focus on micro plastics and their toxic impact on female bodies in particular.

We all emerged transformed by the experience and are committed to telling the story of what we witnessed and working to find solutions.”

The crew sailed the North Pacific Ocean through the densest accumulation of ocean plastic on the planet. The crew recorded an average of half a million pieces of microplastics per square kilometre here, and that was only on the surface.

The scientific data they gathered has been used as part of ten international research projects.

As Michelle Byle, crew member and packaging designer, sums up in the film:

“We are about as far away from civilisation as one can get. Yet here, all around us, is evidence of our daily lives on land. Our choices. Our purchases. This is your old toothbrush, my empty shampoo bottle, the lid to his coffee cup.” 

The expedition hoped to answer questions like: Where is the plastic coming from? What does it mean for our natural world and human health? And what can be done to solve it?

Emily Penn, eXXpedition Founder, shared “We know that there is no silver bullet to solve the plastic problem. Our expeditions help people to understand the true challenge of ocean plastic pollution, so they can use their skills to solve it from sea to source.

This voyage turned these incredible women into ambassadors for change, with the power to help transform our future. It’s amazing to see the impact they’ve achieved since!”

eXXpedition North Pacific Crew

Mission Leader:
@missemilypenn

Shore Crew: 
@rissyclark
@sorayaearth
@torihowse

Sea Crew:
Skipper: Imogen Robinson
First Mate: @astrang1

Michelle Byle @michellebyle
Rowan Henthorn @ocean_row
Emily Duncan @em_dunkers
Siri Ostvold @siriostvold
Kristine Marie @kristinemarieh
Karine Therriene @karinetherrieneducator
Sally Earthrowl @planetearthrowl
Jen Russell @jen._russell
Ana Jarc @ana_jarc
Jess Mac @merb_mac

Communications Intern support:

Nikkey Dawn
Sophie Bolesworth
Lucie Fayard

An Another World Adventures partnership

We’re so proud that Another World Adventures was an official partner of the expedition with our founder Larissa a core team member from the inception of the planning to heading up the communications communications and press and media for the journey.

“El and I have worked on many exciting projects together over the years using film as a powerful medium to unpack complex environmental stories in creative ways. It’s been an honour to collaborate on this project with her and Emily Penn from the start – although no doubt there have been times when El may have regretted answering the phone the day I called her with a “really good idea!” says Larissa Clark, founder of Another World Adventures & Head of Communications eXXpedition (2017-2023).

She continues, “Needless to say sailing 3,000nm across an ocean in 2018 was only the start of this cinematic journey and I’m thankful for the efforts and support of everyone on and off screen that has been part of it.

This is another ‘behind the scenes’ achievement for me that I’m very proud of. If there were out-takes you’d spot me waddling around the dock in Vancouver at 8 months pregnant orchestrating the media circus that reported on the mission all over the world… that and a few other things!!”

“Amazing Larissa Clark is the reason for X Trillion! She rang me up one day a few years ago and said: “there’s this thing you might be interested in…”. She was a VITAL part of forming the expedition and getting us across the ocean and met us in Vancouver (never had a better hug!) very pregnant but still working crazy hard on logistics and comms (and moral support). We’ve worked on this together as well as projects about air quality, illegal fishing, cotton and fashion, pesticides and more.” says X Trillion Director Eleanor Church.

How to Watch The Film

Produced by Verity Wislocki, X-Trillion follows the North Pacific expedition and explores the practical and emotional responses to one of the biggest global challenges of our time.

The crew leave families and land behind, to battle high seas, storms and sea sickness, and carry out cutting-edge microplastics research.

For the first time the film turns the camera on the extent of the plastic pollution crisis in one of the most remote places on Earth.

“We hope the film will take audiences with us on this journey, so that they too are inspired about all the ways they can be changemakers. We don’t need everyone to do everything, we need everyone to do something.” – Emily Penn 

There are screenings in cinemas across the UK – with more dates being added over the coming weeks and months – find them here.

X Trillion will air on Warner Bros. Discovery across the EMEA region in multiple territories, with a global broadcast premiere on World Ocean Day, 8th June 2024.