Eighteen-year-old Carpinterian Sheena Rock will have her latest film “Titans” — a documentary that delves into the debate on the removal of the oil rigs off the coast of Santa Barbara County — featured in the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) on Feb. 15.
Rock’s film is part of the Youth CineMedia portion of the festival, which includes seven other films. Youth CineMedia is a documentary filmmaking class overseen by Osiris Castañeda, a film and television production instructor at Santa Barbara City College.
The documentary, filmed entirely on Rock’s iPhone, includes interviews with people knowledgeable about the rigs, including a paramedic, who explained the role a medical professional would play on an oil rig; a rig crew member; Dr. Milton Love, a research biologist at the Marine Science Institute at UC Santa Barbara; and Ryan Davis, creator of Project First Light, an organization dedicated to improving public safety and resolving global warming.
Rock said many things inspired her to make “Titans,” including her longstanding love for nature and an impactful tour in high school. After her marine biology class was given a tour of the rigs, she felt overwhelmed in the presence of the massive, industrial beings, she told CVN.
“I felt this sympathy for them,” she said. “I was amazed by their greatness.”
Her film is broken into three portions, named after Titans from Greek mythology: Oceanus, the largest titan; Iapetus, the titan of death; and Rhea, the titan of life. Rock said the name of the film was inspired by her first encounter with the rigs, and her awe at the size and scale of the structures.
Though the rigs are widely considered an eyesore or a reminder of disaster, their presence still serves a purpose. The oldest still-standing rig was built in 1966, and these structures have become homes for many crustaceans and invertebrates.
“(The oil rigs) have become this flourishing artificial reef,” Rock said. “It wasn’t planned for, it just happened. And if you were to remove those structures, it would also damage the sea floor and cause more seepage.”
As a lifelong creative, “Titans” is only one of Rock’s latest artistic ventures. She recently published a book, “Descension,” in August 2023. While she was in high school, her film “Turning the Tide” was featured in the 10-10-10 portion of the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
She also created a music video while attending Santa Barbara High School’s Multimedia Arts and Design (MAD) Academy. The video, “BioBond,” earned her a creative excellence award at her high school.
“I write, direct, and produce all my own stuff, and I’ve been writing and telling stories ever since I could pick up a pen,” Rock said. “If I couldn’t spell or write out what I wanted to convey, I would draw it.”
Rock’s film will be shown alongside other Youth CineMedia films on Feb. 15, 11 a.m., at the SBIFF Film Center, 916 State St., Santa Barbara. Following the screening, her film will be posted to her YouTube channel at youtube.com/@croixdoesfilm.
Her book, “Descension,” is also available for purchase at descensionnovels.weebly.com.