“SAVING VALENTINA”
DOCUMENTARIES
All images ©2010 International Rivers Network
Great Whale Conservancy
We were contacted by Michael Fishbach and Gershon Cohen of the Great Whale Conservancy, an organization that observes and protects whales. They had some amateur footage of a recent whale watching expedition where they unexpectedly encountered a humpback whale, close to death and tangled in a gill net. Michael jumped overboard to cut away the net, while his wife Heather, stood on in the bow and videotaped the incident.
What they asked us to do...
The footage covers their frenzied attempt to cut the whale loose, and the whale's subsequent excited breaches as it celebrates its newfound freedom. But the video was uncut and the story wasn’t being clearly told.
What we did...
Eli Noyes edited and shaped the story for GWC, adding Michael’s narration, still photos and titles.
Our results...
Posted to YouTube, this 8-minute film went viral in the Summer of 2011 and ran up over 11 million views: a runaway online hit that was subsequently picked up by ABC Television’s 20/20, The Huffington Post and others. The film has since been shown at the 2012 Wild and Scenic Film Festival and has brought a fame and fortune to the Great Whale Conservancy.