Since Death at Sea officially premiered in January 2024 in London, the film has achieved significant success at international film festivals and screened across the globe to UN and state officials, civil society, academics, industry representatives, and policymakers alike. 

GLOBAL SCREENINGS 

The film, directed by Sara Pipernos, made its international debut in the United States at Colby College in Maine, as part of their Environmental Studies Lecture Series. It then expanded its reach, partnering with SOAS University of London and celebrated comedian and activist Abby Govindan to host impactful screenings and roundtable discussions in both London and New York City. The film also engaged directly with the seafood industry, screening for key representatives during a Seafish Seafood Ethics Action Alliance workshop, bringing together major retailers striving to address human rights abuses within global supply chains.

In a significant milestone, the film premiered before Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and German government officials during a closed-door human rights workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, organized with the support of the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law. 

“It was a very poignant and relevant film. I think this is something that should always be shown in workshops like this to show the human element of the ideas and policies that we have been discussing.” –ASEAN workshop participant

FILM FESTIVALS

Death at Sea was also recognized at major film festivals across the globe, most significantly winning a national student Royal Television Society award. Additionally, the film was nominated for the prestigious Jackson Wild Media Awards, known as the ‘Oscars of wildlife filmmaking.’ The film was also selected for the 17th Festival de Films Pêcheurs du Monde, to be held in Lorient, France in March 2025. 

“Genuinely eye-opening, powerful and important original journalism with purpose. This was a story sensitively told with strong access, opening a window into an unknown world. The film maker shone a light on a massive injustice which resulted in an accomplished and emotional film.” – Royal Television Society Jury

JUSTICE CAMPAIGN

Alongside the film’s successes, the Death at Sea Justice Campaign was launched by Human Rights at Sea International, calling for justice for Eritara Aati Kaierua’s family and greater protections for fisheries observers and fishers alike. The campaign has garnered significant media attention and featured in prominent outlets such as Seafood Source, Undercurrent News, Fisker Forum, and Spinnaker Global. ABC Australia’s Pacific Beat, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and Blue Marine Foundation have also published news related to the film.

Finally, the campaign released never-before-seen CCTV footage from the Taiwanese fishing vessel WIN FAR 636, reigniting global attention on the suspicious death of Eritara Aati Kaierua, a fisheries observer from Kiribati and the focus of the Death at Sea film. The campaign hopes for greater collaboration in 2025 from the Taiwanese authorities in providing justice to Eritara’s family. 

The Death at Sea team welcomes significant achievements in international fisheries policy, including the recent adoption of a Crew Labour Standards management measure at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the first of its kind at a regional fisheries management organization, bodies tasked with governing the high seas.

THANK YOU!

This film was created in hopes of creating a safer maritime environment, and its increased awareness across the globe has become a catalyst for change. The film and justice campaign would not be possible without the support from Human Rights at Sea International, Human Rights at Sea, the Sustainable Communities and Fisheries Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, the Fishmongers Company, and supportive audiences across the globe.

ENDS.

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Source: HRAS

Photo: Crew pictured L-R Nyal Mueenuddin, Nicky Kaierua, Sara Pipernos, Tekarara Kabangaki, Mikey Sneddon.

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