The new “Reef Builders” documentary originally announced last month at the South By Southwest symposium is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The film saw its official World Premiere this past weekend at an exclusive “teal-carpet” event hosted by the SHEBA brand at London’s Natural History Museum.
The teal carpet was an homage to the footage of underwater ocean scenes that can be seen in the documentary.
“Reef Builders” spotlights the inspiring stories of the people behind the Sheba Hope Grows program — part of one of the world’s largest coral reef restoration programs led by Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS) — and the vital role of ocean communities in the move to help restore our planet’s coral reefs.
The documentary was directed and produced by Stephen Shearman, executive produced by Victoria Noble and Ben Padfield, with actor and environmental advocate Auli’i Cravalho participating as associate producer.
Commenting on the film, Cravalho said:
“Growing up in the islands of Hawai?i taught me just how lucky we are to live in harmony with our oceans. It’s easy for me to want to protect my own backyard, but this film allows audiences around the world to come together to learn about the vital importance of coral reef restoration. Being a small part of the solution makes me optimistic about the future of our oceans.
“I’m thrilled to be here in London to present ‘Reef Builders’ to the world. The huge platform that Prime Video provides will allow those both near and far from the restoration conversation to have a front row seat not only to coral reef degradation and restoration, but also the profound impact on local coastal communities.”
Following the screening of the film, guests enjoyed a panel discussion featuring Cravalho, Executive Producer Victoria Noble, Mars Inc. Chief Marine Scientist Professor David Smith, Mars Sustainable Solutions Senior Director Mindy Barry, and Ocean Culture Life (OCL) Co-Founder Tamsin Raine.
The premiere event also featured a brand-new immersive soundscape experience incorporating sounds recorded on a healthy coral reef. The 360-degree immersive audio-visual journey – brought to life by Grammy and Emmy award-winning composer Emily Bear – surrounded guests with experiences of the reef, engaging both sight and sound.
Bear said:
“Sound can create intense emotion in humans, and in the case of coral reefs, it can be a sign of life. While drawing inspiration from marine scientists on this project, it was fascinating to learn that thriving coral reef ecosystems produce a symphony of sounds, such as popping, whooping and crackling. It’s full of movement, rhythm, and harmony – something that holds true in music as well. Creating this soundscape was a unique opportunity to bring the ocean’s voice to an on-land audience. This experience helps really underscore the larger mission of the ‘Reef Builders’ film.”
Check out the trailer below.
