DOCUMENTARY EPI-SERIES PITCH
a closer look
Project Overview
A Closer Look is a cinematic documentary series diving into the complex, beautiful, and often controversial world of swimming with orcas.
Alongside scientists, fishermen, tourism operators, indigenous Sámi communities, whalers, conservationists, and local voices, the series explores how human–cetacean encounters shape ecosystems, cultures, and ethics across the globe.
With additional funding, we will expand the series to uncover how this form of tourism emerged from conservation movements, Norway’s centuries-old whaling traditions , and evolving marine protections — connecting community histories to present-day ecological realities.
Each episode will follow three storytelling pillars:
Education — expert-backed science on species behaviour and communication.
Cultural History & Wisdom — Capturing emotionally powerful, cinematic footage while amplifying local and Indigenous voices with ancestral knowledge of living alongside cetaceans. Exploring contrasting perspectives on stewardship — including Sámi viewpoints were appropriate and narratives from whaling communities.
Cinematic Underwater Visuals of Regulations & Ethics — examining the laws in place (or lack thereof) and showing best practices for responsible encounters.
This series will not only immerse viewers in the beauty of these animals, but also provide a blueprint for ethical marine wildlife tourism. We’ll connect science, culture, and conservation in a way natural history filmmaking has never done before.
PILOT EPISODE 1:
THE HUMAN WAKE
This short film episode was created on a non-profit expedition to open an essential conversation about the growing tourism industry in Norway’s fjords and the fine line between protection and disturbance. Through intimate underwater cinematography, raw connection and a local voice, the series invites audiences to look beyond spectacle and toward responsibility. Our hope is to explore this topic deeper with proper funding allocated to the series.
why this story matters
Human interactions with cetaceans are increasing worldwide, yet regulations, cultural perspectives, and conservation strategies vary widely between regions.
A Closer Look frames these encounters not as isolated experiences, but as part of a densely interconnected system — where fishermen, scientists, tour operators, tourists, policymakers, and coastal families all share the same fjords shaped by the herring migrations that draw orcas and other whales into these waters. In a landscape of extraordinary beauty and escalating human activity, coexistence is both inevitable and fragile, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, science-led approaches to human–cetacean encounters.
Indigenous Sámi perspectives were appropriate, alongside other local knowledge systems, can provide important context for understanding long-term relationships between people and marine ecosystems.
By weaving personal narratives with scientific insight, the series explores how collective stewardship can emerge when communities are engaged, ecosystems are respected, and ethical boundaries are clearly defined.
The series is structured to reward curiosity. As episodes progress, new voices and findings continually reshape the narrative, offering audiences fresh perspectives on a subject often reduced to spectacle or controversy.
series vision & mission
Our mission is clear: protect these species, defend our right to encounter them ethically, and inspire global stewardship of our oceans. This isn’t just a film series — it’s the start of a movement to ensure that future generations can look into the eye of a whale and know that connection still exists.
A Closer Look is branch of a larger global impact projectTides of Connection built on documenting cultural narratives that illuminate humanity’s ancestral relationship with whales and dolphins. By learning from countries such as French Polynesia and Dominica, which are widely regarded as leaders in cetacean protection, the series will investigate how science-driven policy and community stewardship can guide government regulations that safeguard marine ecosystems while supporting responsible human encounters.
Through immersive storytelling, the project will educate audiences, raise awareness, and amplify local voices, helping drive policy changes and ethical practices that protect marine life and empower communities.
