Directors/Producers: Michelle Dougherty, Daniel Hinerfeld
Description: Sonic
Sea is a sixty-minute documentary about the impact of industrial
and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. It tells
the story of Ken Balcomb, a former US Navy officer who solved a
tragic mystery involving a mass stranding of whales in the Bahamas,
and changed the way we understand our impact on the ocean. In the
darkness of the sea, whales depend on sound to mate, find food,
migrate, raise their young and defend against predators. Over the
last century, however, human activity has radically transformed the
ocean’s delicate acoustic habitat, challenging the ability of
whales and other marine life to prosper, and ultimately to survive. Sonic Sea offers solutions and hope for a quieter ocean, and
underscores that the ocean’s destiny is inextricably bound with our
own. Sonic Sea is narrated by Rachel McAdams and features the
musician, human rights and environmental activist, Sting. It was
produced by Natural Resources Defense Council and Imaginary Forces in
association with International Fund for Animal Welfare and Diamond
Docs.
Biography: Michelle
Dougherty is an American designer and director. She was born in
Mexico City and grew up in California. She is a graduate of Art
Center College of Design in Pasadena. In her professional career, she
has directed projects ranging from graphic design to commercial
directing, including advertising, television and film title
sequences, feature film marketing, and experiential design. Michelle
has created Emmy-nominated main title sequences and has directed
global commercial advertising campaigns. Michelle’s projects have
garnered awards as well as being featured at the Walker Art Center,
Hammer Museum, and Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Daniel
Hinerfeld directs and produces films and videos for NRDC,
including Acid Test and Stories from the Gulf, which
aired on Discovery's Planet Green, and Wild Things, which
aired on Pivot TV. He was a senior editor, producer and reporter at
National Public Radio, where he helped launch The Tavis Smiley Show
and Day to Day. His journalism and commentary has appeared in many
publications including Rolling Stone, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Daniel worked for nearly four years
as a senior aide to a member of the Los Angeles City Council, where
his focus was press relations and developing gun control legislation.
