Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals

Warner Bros. Discovery commissioned Park Village, and Emmy nominated director Ian Derry, to make 45 min doc, Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals, that sheds light on the vital importance of combating climate change’s impact on coral reefs

The film focuses on the undiscovered reefs along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline and the potential benefits of coral research in the region for ecosystems worldwide. The film showcases contributions from a diverse cast of experts, to provide context on the current state of reefs worldwide, their significance in the global ecosystem and the ongoing efforts to address the challenges they face. The film balances the corals and the challenges faced by reefs with the various technical and socio-economic efforts aimed at strengthening their opportunities for survival.

The film will aired exclusively on Discovery and Discovery+ on Earth Day, April 22nd. Directed by Derry, and exec produced by Adam Booth and Oliver Allgrove for Park Village, Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals follows the journey of Salma Shaker, a skilled Saudi Arabian free diver, as she delves into the ground breaking work conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Underwater photography was captured by DOP Jean Charles-Granjon, a long time collaborator of Derry’s, having shot his Emmy & BAFTA nominated 2022 film, Hold your breath: The Ice Dive.

Salma Shaker said, “My dream is to make sure that the corals and the marine life is there for my children and my children’s children”.

Ian Derry, director at Park Village, said, “Whilst shooting this film, we saw many incredible initiatives that hopefully can combat global warming and future proof our corals, but we also saw some devastation that reduced some of our crew to tears. The one thing I got from all experts involved, was they all had hope. But they cannot do it alone, they need filmmakers, they need communities globally, business globally, education and pressure on those who continue to be a part of the problem not the solution. Discovery gave me an incredible opportunity to tell this important story, I hope we can educate people and have a positive impact as a result”.

Adam Booth, managing partner and executive producer at Park Village, said, “It’s been a hugely rewarding production over 18 months working with Warner Bros. Discovery, and we’re incredibly proud of the film that we’ve produced. Park Village and especially our director, Ian are committed to telling stories that have a positive impact, and drive awareness of the issues of the day, and we hope this film brings a level of education and hope for the future to a new generation of conservationists.”

Kerrie McEvoy, director, head of factual channels, Discovery Networks EMEA at Warner Bros Discovery, said: “We are immensely proud to announce our partnership with Red Sea Global in presenting ‘Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals’ which will air on Earth Day. Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to leveraging the power of storytelling to not only entertain but also inspire change and this film is a perfect example of how we can do that.”

Edina Constantinescu, senior director marketing EMEA and international, social good discovery networks at Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “Social good is an important priority for us at Warner Bros. Discovery and we aim to be at the forefront of raising awareness upon social and environmental issues our world faces constantly. Our brands give us the possibility to reach millions of people across the world and I’m so proud that ‘Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals’ will air on Discovery Channel across the US, Europe, Turkey, The Middle East, Africa and Asia to cast the spotlight on the importance of protecting our reefs.”