Our Work

Novo Amor

Birthplace

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Birthplace tells the symbolic story of a man arriving on a perfect earth, who encounters his nemesis in the form of ocean trash.

With this video we raise awareness for the plastic pollution emergency in the oceans, and hope to inspire others to become a part of the change.

Directors & writers

Jorik Dozy & Sil van der Woerd

Producer

Sean Lin

Cinematographer

Nihal Friedel

Impact

9m+

Views Across Platforms

International Awards

50+

International Media Features

60+

Film Festival Appearances

A Viral Message

When the film released in 2018, the issue of plastic pollution was only just gaining momentum in awareness. Due to it's message and the unique manner in which it was told, the video quickly became viral and got picked up by international media receiving coverage from The Independent, Greenpeace and even all the way in Indonesia from The Jakarta Post. The film went on to win over 25 international awards including winning the prestigious CamerImage Film Festival.

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The film became an iconic piece of environmentalism and is used in schools around the world as an educational tool.

The Campaign

Next to the film we designed a webpage that brought all the most critical and mind-blowing facts of the plastic pollution crisis together on a single page. This webpage was hosted by Novo Amor and included interviews of experts and tips on how to get involved and be part of the solution. Thousands of his fans worldwide interacted with the information. Additionally we collaborated with the organization Plastic Oceans who included the film in their educational program and showcase it in schools around the world.

Birthplace Landing Page

Plastic Oceans

Watch our interview with Craig Leeson, director of the Plastic Oceans Organisation below, where he explains the magnitude of the problem as well as some solutions.

Production

We collaborated with a local community in Bali to build a life-size 13 meter prop whale. The whale was constructed from bamboo, and covered with real waste, for which we worked together with a group of school kids who were picking trash in the jungle, in return for books and pencils.

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It took a team of 10 divers to control the whale puppet underwater. UK freediving champion Michael Board performed over 250 free dives, while the dive team spent over 35 hours underwater.

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Michael's performance was challenging, as he could use none of his professional gear and was practically blind underwater. Other challenges included the buoyancy of the whale, which preferred to either sink or float - the strong currents, that pulled the crew and the whale in any direction - and communication, as most of the crew couldn't see each other and none could speak underwater.

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