Stories from the Sea

About the Stories from the Sea documentary

Stories from the Sea explores the practicalities and cultural quirks of the fishing industry in Seychelles, and the people who depend on it. Across eight episodes the series looks at the past, present and future of fishing, keeps an eye on sustainability, and lends an ear to the traditional music that keeps Seychellois culture alive and preserves the fishermen’s stories through song.

It forms part of the wider Stories from the Sea initiative, a Meraki Foundation project supported by UK in Seychelles, and was a creative collaboration between me and Seyit.TV.

The episodes

An official trailer introduces the series, followed by eight chapters. Episode 1, It’s in Our Blood, meets the fishermen who form the backbone of the series and asks what draws a person to the ocean in the first place. Episode 2, The Sea and Me, recounts the stories, myths and memories that shape the communities who depend on fishing to survive. Later episodes cover Once Upon a Time, Music & Fishing, Stories Told Through Song, A Cautionary Tale, Troubled Waters and Looking to the Future.

How the series was made

I directed, filmed and edited every episode. Seyit.TV and The Meraki Foundation produced the series, with the British High Commission in Seychelles as executive producer. A series needs one visual style and one narrative thread that carry across eight episodes, while each chapter still stands on its own.

Long-form documentary lets real people, real places and a considered edit carry the story.

Documentary video for your organisation

If you need a documentary or a run of short films for an NGO, a brand or an institution, see my video editing and DP services in Zurich or browse more of my video projects.

How I make films like Stories from the Sea

My approach is the same whether the film is a documentary, an advert or a social campaign. I start with what the film has to achieve and who will watch it, plan the shoot around that, film what the story needs and edit it to the point. Because I usually write, direct, film and edit myself, there are fewer hand-offs, the decisions stay consistent from first idea to final file and the client deals with one person. I deliver the formats each channel needs, from broadcast files to vertical cuts for social media. To see more films like Stories from the Sea, browse my video production portfolio or get in touch about your own project.