ext month, audiences will see the film that took director Rob Stewart through 15 countries over five years and nearly ended his life. When Stewart's Sharkwater opens on March 23, it will be a career highlight for this filmmaker whose journey to explore the relationship between humans and sharks became a gripping, edge-of-your-seat adventure.   However, the life and death situations featured in the film, from pirate boat rammings, attempted murder charges, arrests, espionage, corruption and hospitalization, as well as uncovering the billion-dollar shark fishing industry, were the last things Stewart expected.   "I had no idea that it would become a human drama that would nearly end my life," said Stewart.   The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and has already won Best Documentary and the Audience Favorite Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the People's Choice Award at the Atlantic Film Festival and a Special Jury Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival. It was recently selected as one of the Top Ten Canadian Films of 2006 by the Toronto International Film Festival Group.   "It's been a massive leap of faith," said Stewart about the project. "When you show your film,
you don't know if they are going to walk out or stand up and cheer, but we have received standing ovations and have had sold out screenings. I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the response the film is getting."   "People are really responding to the movie because it's a true-life action film. It's the real story about what happened to a man who wanted to save sharks."