Dùthchas: Our Underwater Forests - Animation Doc

The Story

From land, the sea often appears uninviting: a vast, indifferent dark and cold expanse of blue.

This short animated documentary aims to challenge this perception, revealing the sea's breath-taking beauty and connection to our human experience. We will explore the threats it faces, the actions we can take as communities, and the policies we should advocate for to protect this precious ecosystem.

Through the watercolours animation, interviews and a Scottish Gaelic score, Viola invites you into the sea of The Argyll Hope Spot: a community-led celebration of this part of Scotland's world-class natural riches - highlighting the importance of rewilding, restoration, and the conservation efforts that will help preserve an important Scottish eco-system.

1. Sèimh - state of tranquillity

what we see: A swimmer discovers an underwater forest made of seaweed, seagrass, mearl and oysters, home to countless of animals as well as being some seals' playground.

what we hear: The interviewees highlight the ecosystem's importance from a biodiversity and climate change perspective

2. Gu Leòr -  to sufficiency

what we see: A machine - symbol of human extractivism practices - ravages the ecosystem, destroying the home of many creatures, displacing the seals, that, like the fishers, are left with little food.

what we hear:  Fishers and Marine Biologists talk about the domino effects of disrupting these marine habitats from an ecological and economic perspective.

3. Dùthchas -  a deep ancestral connection to a place of nature

what we see: The current moves the swimmer showing them the damage done to the undrewater forest, who then unites the community to restore it.

what we hear:  Community Facilitator talks about the importance of coming together, of looking after our own "back garden". Scientists talk about how climate change poses new challenges and serves as a motivation to do better, together.

Seagrass, Seaweed, Maerl and Oysters are keystone species, the real protagonists of this story, because of the important habitat-creating role they have.

ANIMATION

The Process
Sketching underwater is a big part of Viola's creative process. She enjoys being underwater and sketching really helps her to be more present, to identify species, to pay attention to the way life moves underwater. Watercolours come at a later stage, usually as another quick sketch that makes sense of her rough doodles.

Viola paints each element with watercolours, which then scans and then animates. Blending the water elements in her art allows her to flowing into the creative process better: not losing herself in too many details, playing with organic shapes and enjoying the unexpected visual gifts that watercolour brushes give her.

THE TEAM

Viola was born and raised surrounded by water on the island of Sardinia. However, she developed a deeper love for the ocean while snorkelling and diving in the colder waters of Scotland. That's where what she calls "My Re-Enchantment" happened, among underwater forests of seaweed in unwelcoming dark lochs. These experiences turned into a short animation, that was then screened at the Tiree Sea Change Film Festival and Cardiff Animation Festival. Viola is a freelance animator and illustrator, in her practice she works with organisations on projects about sustainability, education, art, and everything in between.

Nathan is an emerging producer based in Paisley. After finishing his master's in film Producing, he was selected by ScreenSkills on to their Trainee Finder programme. He spent the past year working on productions such as: Sebastian (Screen Scotland, BFI), Harvest (BBC Film, Sixteen Films) Kenmure Street (Barry Crear) Cold War Hockey (Purple TV) and Float (Black Camel Pictures). He is committed to bringing diverse voices to the screen, especially LGBTQIA+ and working-class stories. Nathan is passionate about creating films with mental health and the environment at the core of his producing. When he came across Viola's project he knew it had to be made.

Mandy Haggith is a writer who lives on a coastal croft in Assynt, in the northwest Highlands. She is the author of five novels, two non-fiction books and six poetry collections, the most recent of which is Briny, a book of sea poetry, longlisted for the Highland Book Prize. After twenty years as an environmental activist, she is now a lecturer in creative writing and literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands, and an honorary research fellow at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, using creative research methods to explore climate change, forests and the sea. She is an avid sailor and proud of her skipper ticket.

WHAT WE NEED

For us to bring this story to life we need a total of £2500. 

This is to help fund 2 main areas: 

1 - A two-day trip with 4 crew members (Director and Animator, Producer, Sound Recordist and Production Assistant) This trip will include an interview day where we will meet with 6 contributors. and another day to get some underwater sketching and outdoor sound recording near Oban. 

2 - To fund our distribution of the project to different festivals around the world that champion voices like Viola's. 

WHY THIS FILM

The sea is particularly vulnerable to the dangers of ignorance. Sealife is hidden by the sea itself, and so are the factors that threaten it. Many people feel a deep connection to the water, but few understand the numerous factors contributing to its degradation. This short animation aspires to shine a light on what is threatening the ocean, what people are doing about it, and what still needs to be done. However, complex problems require complex solutions. Sparking a sense of collaboration can often be the first step towards the right direction.

THANK YOU!