Amorous anthropomorphism, marine conservation and the wonder of wildlife film in Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno

Green Porno is a series of short films in which Isabella Rossellini explores the reproductive lives of creatures whose physiology and habitats are vastly different from humans. In series three, Rossellini comically performs sea creature sex and draws attention to the threats they face from human activities like overfishing. Through Green Porno, Rossellini claimed that she wanted to evoke a sense of wonder to compel viewers to protect wildlife. Recognizing wonder’s widely acknowledged ethical and compassion-inducing potential as well as its prevalence in wildlife film and television shows, this article discusses Green Porno in relation to the awe-inspiring ‘pornographic’ tendencies of wildlife film (Lorimer) and the marvellous anthropomorphism in the films of Jean Painlevé. I demonstrate how Green Porno acknowledges, parodies and critiques the wonder-inducing ‘pornographic’ and anthropomorphic tendencies of wildlife film through a crafted aesthetic and camp performances to encourage viewers to reconsider their relationships with marine wildlife, or at least with wildlife on screen, at this time of ecological crisis.