People of the Sea(2025)

Cries from the Deep(fr)

This documentary records the journey undertaken by Jacques Cousteau, his 24-member team, and an NFB film crew to explore the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, one of the world's richest fishing areas. They discover shipwrecks, film icebergs and observe beluga whales, humpback whales and harp seals. The film also includes a fascinating sequence showing Calypso divers freeing a calf whale entrapped in a fishing net.

Return of the Islander(ga)

Through economic necessity, an Aran Islander is forced to travel to England to work on building sites so that he can earn money to support his family back on the Islands.

Inside Sportfishing: Threshers Yak Style(en)

Fishing expert Michael Fowlkes joins a group of Southern California sportsmen who think that catching an angry thresher shark from a boat is too easy. To amp up the competition, these audacious anglers reel in the dangerous predators from kayaks. This exciting action film pits 200-pound creatures against daring fishing enthusiasts willing to take them aboard vessels that could tip at any moment, leaving the men at the sharks' mercy.

Aberdeen(en)

Explore the growth of Aberdeen’s sparkling streets.

Sea Spiders(en)

A look at the everyday life of Tahitian natives.

Polaris(en)

Work. Eat. Sleep. And back to work. For a long time skippers in the North East of Scotland could not find locals to work on their fishing vessels. That was until Filipino fishermen started coming to town for work. Both nationalities strive to shorten the distance between two very different worlds.

The Coast of Commerce(en)

Take a revealing tour along a coast of contrasts, from the folksy freshness of Whitby to the coaly Tyne, queen of all rivers.

Women on the Water(en)

A documentary film from New Hampshire Sea Grant following the stories of women in New Hampshire's traditionally male-dominated seafood and aquaculture industries, why they chose to work on the water, the challenges they face, and the reasons they've stayed.

Watermen(en)

In 1965, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, there was the last operating fleet of sailing work boats in the United States. Forty-odd "Skipjacks" were still used by Maryland watermen to dredge up oysters from the Bay. At that time, the fleet had survived because of a Maryland conservation law which prohibits the use of motor power for oyster dredging. The watermen traditionally marked the opening of each oystering season with a skipjack race which the Maryland State Tourist Board incorporated into its annual "Chesapeake Bay Appreciation Day."

Nanook of the North(en)

This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.

Mer Océane(fr)

Documentarian Richard Lavoie follows the artists of the Mer Océane symposium which took place on La Grave, in the Magdalen Islands, in 1998.

Eden Alone Surpasses Thee(en)

Jarred by the loss of his closest friend, a farmer on Tasmania’s remote West Coast, begins to mentor at-risk local youth. In an area renowned for its poverty, low literacy, and high suicide rates, Stafford Heres is determined to provide opportunities for kids who have few. Eden Alone Surpasses Thee explores his relationship with the land, loss, and the young men he takes under his wing.

Against the Tide(mr)

Two friends, both Indigenous fishermen, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.

As Long as the Rivers Run(en)

Examines the violence and civil disobedience leading up to the hallmark decision in U.S. v. Washington, with particular reference to the Nisqually Indians of Frank's Landing in Washington.

Turning Tides(en)

In this documentary short, summer trippers line up for the famous local fried clams and whole families dig for the white mollusc in the tangy air of the sandbars. But as the clams dwindle, so do these tableaux from Maritime culture. For commercial fishermen it's the end of a livelihood; for others, it's the death of a tradition. Can this really be the end of a resource that used to be as plentiful as the air we breathe?

Fortunes is our family name(en)

Fortunes is our family name is a short documentary showcasing the heritage and tradition of a dying craft, emphasising the importance of keeping these historic processes and their proprietors alive and in business. We capture the daily life of Barry Brown and touch upon the history of Fortunes Kippers in Whitby.

A Tainha e a Onda(pt)

Recorrente(pt)

Gegen Wind und Wellen - Auf Fangfahrt mit den deutschen Seelachsfischern(de)

The job of a deep-sea fisherman is still extremely dangerous today. Waves, storms, physical work and hardly any sleep - the stress levels are high, even though the ships are now ultra-modern. Fishing far out at sea requires experience and luck. The weather can change within minutes and this also applies to fish prices, which vary greatly depending on the catch. It quickly becomes a race against time and the forces of nature.

Koka(ru)

Somewhere on the coast of the Bering Sea, a father and son make a living fishing in a community that seems almost outside of time. Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk’s camera takes us in close to the subjects, recording both the harshness of their condition and the rigour of education, softened by paternal love and the universal insouciance of childhood.