A Documentary Film
Beneath the
Surface
An unflinching look at the invisible crisis reshaping our oceans — and the communities fighting to reverse it before it's too late.
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An unflinching look at the invisible crisis reshaping our oceans — and the communities fighting to reverse it before it's too late.
Beneath the Surface follows three communities across three continents — coastal fishers in Senegal, marine biologists in the Galápagos, and waste-management innovators in Jakarta — as they confront the accelerating crisis of ocean plastic pollution.
Shot over two years, the film weaves intimate personal narratives with sweeping underwater cinematography to reveal how 14 million tons of plastic enter our oceans annually — and how local action is creating ripples of global change.
From the microplastics found in Arctic ice cores to the floating islands choking Southeast Asian waterways, the documentary maps the full scale of the problem before turning its lens toward hope: community-led cleanups, biomaterial breakthroughs, and policy shifts that prove the tide can be turned.
"We didn't set out to make an environmental film. We set out to tell a human story — the ocean just happened to be where the truth was hiding."— Maren Solberg, Director
"The most important environmental documentary since An Inconvenient Truth. Devastating, beautiful, and ultimately hopeful."— The Guardian
Join us at a screening near you. Each event includes a post-film discussion with marine scientists and local conservation leaders.
From screen to action
Every screening sparks a conversation. Every conversation becomes a commitment. Here's how the film is driving real-world change.
Ocean Cleanup Fund
10% of all ticket proceeds fund community-led coastal cleanups. To date, over 840 tons of debris have been removed from shorelines across 18 countries.
Education Initiative
Free screening kits distributed to 1,200+ schools worldwide, complete with curriculum guides connecting the film's themes to local ecosystems.
Policy Advocacy
The film's companion petition has been presented to the UN Environment Assembly, contributing to the framework for a binding global plastics treaty.