Creating waves of change through documentary films
As part of our mission to safeguard the health of our oceans, we are proud to fund the creation of short documentaries that spotlight critical issues in marine conservation. These residencies provide filmmakers, writers, and conservationists with the resources and space they need to bring compelling ocean stories to life.
Hosted at the picturesque Rocabella estate in the South of France, our residencies offer participants an immersive, seven-week program. Residents receive funding, meals, and accommodations, enabling them to focus fully on their documentary projects. These films are not just about raising awareness—they aim to inspire action and drive real change in how we protect and preserve our oceans.
This residency program is the cornerstone of our initiative to support creative storytelling as a tool for ocean protection. Each documentary we help fund will tackle key conservation topics, amplifying the voices of those fighting to protect our planet’s most precious resource.
By investing in these films, we aim to educate, inspire, and empower audiences around the world to join the fight for healthier, more sustainable oceans.
Our first residency: Whales in the Mediterranean
The inaugural residency centers on the creation of a short documentary exploring the lives of whales in the Mediterranean and the challenges they face. By weaving together research, storytelling, and powerful visuals, this project seeks to highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts in this critical marine ecosystem.
Six talented filmmakers embark on an exciting seven-week journey along the stunning French coast. Their mission? To create a 13-minute documentary from start to finish, centred around the theme of whales in the Mediterranean.
The participants will engage in coaching workshops led by a professional coach along with insightful visits from external scientific experts. This immersive experience is rich in learning and creativity.
Additionally, the entire process will be captured for a making-of documentary. Their unique perspectives and expertise will provide an intimate look at the creative journey of our filmmakers as they bring this important theme to life, from writing and filming to supervising the post-production (offsite) and distribution strategy.
Organisation
The residents create their documentary from A-Z:
Week 1: Welcome + development
Week 2: Writing
Week 3: Writing + preparation
Week 4: Filming
Week 5: Filming
Week 6: Post-production
Week 7: Post-production
Day 1: Inclusion workshop with the residency coach
Day 1: Inclusion workshop with the residency coach
Day 2: Intervention from the National Park of Port-Cros, presenting their documentary on dolphins in the Mediterranean that was partly financed by Blue.
Residency accommodation.
Residents getting to know each other during one of the icebreaker workshops.
Day 7: Intervention from Dénis Ody from WWF and diver and biologist Sébastien Personnic to discuss whales in the Mediterranean, hydrophones and noise pollution.
Sébastien Personnic showing the residents first-hand footage of seeing whales in the Mediterranean.
Day 8: Writing the documentary accompanied by Marie-Anne Sorba, a local documentary filmmaker.
Day 8: Writing the documentary accompanied by Marie-Anne Sorba, a local documentary filmmaker.
Learning about the sounds that different cetaceans make in the Mediterranean Sea at the Miraceti event celebrating 10 years of high-quality whale watching.
A round table of experts discussing different perspectives on the high-quality whale watching label, at the Miraceti event.
Live watercolour synchronised to music, hosted by Miraceti.
Day 10: An all-day workshop with Pauline Gil from EcoProd, teaching the residents how to produce films in a way as environmentally friendly as possible.
Week 3: Filming has officially begun!
The residents filming by the shore.