Animation · One Ocean Hub

Defenders of the Ocean

Countries

Ghana Namibia South Africa

Style

Hybrid

Released

10 December 2022 (Human Rights Day)

Directed by

Laura Merilainen (One Ocean Hub) & Noel Keserwany

Cinematography

Nessim Stevenson and Marius Van Straaten

About

This short, animated, film tells the story of Hilda Adams, a South African small-scale fisherwoman, who speaks about the challenges facing small-scale fishing communities. It seeks to rectify social and environmental injustices against these communities by encouraging their participation in decisions that define their lives, livelihoods, and generational legacy.

The film follows how One Ocean Hub works with small-scale fishers, UN agencies, and other partners to protect these communities and their human rights, during the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) and beyond. We journey to Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa to bring forward the perspective of indigenous fishing communities, whose needs, challenges, and views are often overlooked yet essential to the preservation of a healthy ocean.

One Ocean Hub is an international research programme working to connect marine and social sciences, law, and the arts, in pursuit of fair, inclusive decision-making for a healthy ocean. Alongside partners including the FAO and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it works to strengthen the recognition and protection of small-scale fishers' human rights worldwide.

A sweeping coastal view of Cape Town's Table Mountain rising above the city, framed by the vivid blue Atlantic Ocean and rocky shoreline in the foreground. The wide, sun-drenched landscape carries a sense of both grandeur and vulnerability.

An illustrated woman in a blue headwrap and a deep blue robe smiles warmly, her garment adorned with delicate drawings of small fishing boats on open water. Ghost-like fish swim through the teal background behind her, weaving her identity into the sea itself.

Three illustrated women sit around a round table, leaning over documents covered in fish illustrations, one annotating with a red pen, another gesturing as she speaks. The scene conveys collaborative decision-making, knowledge and authority shared across the table.

A wire trap filled with orange-red lobsters is illustrated suspended in dark blue water, trailing air bubbles upward. The deep-sea setting and the creatures packed tightly inside give the image a sense of capture and contained life.

A softly illustrated night seascape in deep blue, with several small boats carrying lone figures scattered across calm water beneath a full moon and drifting clouds. A larger vessel anchors the lower right, suggesting the quiet rhythm of a fishing community at work.

Two illustrated polystyrene crates of fish sit side by side, one stacked with grey fish, the other with vivid orange, against a deep teal background. The simple, graphic image draws a quiet contrast between abundance and scarcity, or perhaps past and present catch.

Three illustrated figures, a man, a woman in a blue headwrap, and a child, stand together, their blue robes patterned with fishing boats and ocean waves. The family portrait radiates warmth and rootedness, their identity inseparable from the sea.

A vibrant illustrated coastal scene in teal and earthy tones, showing a smiling woman balancing a basket on her head in the foreground while fishermen and market workers go about their labour along the shore. The scene pulses with the energy of a living, working community.

Defenders

Swedwatch

Have an idea?Get in touch.

We exist on 5 continents with bases in Barcelona, Beirut, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Iceland, Nairobi, New York, Stockholm, and Valencia.

Inquiries, job applications, internships info@whattookyousolong.org

Vimeo, LinkedIn, Instagram
Privacy policy & terms of service.