Writer/Director’s Statement
It is recently discovered that humpback whales learn songs from each other as they encounter different populations during migration. As someone born by the sea, I was inspired to draw a parallel between their cultural exchange and ours as migrants navigating lives across countries. I wrote Stranded to not only make sense of diasporic experiences for people like us, but also explore alternative ways in which we connect with families across the ocean through the ocean itself.
Since my study abroad in the US, my family and I have spent most of our time separated by the Pacific. When my grandfather passed away, I hadn't been home for years. The truth is, with time I’ve come to feel more homesick, and I feel guilty about leaving home as an only child, about not being there for my family. But meanwhile I’ve come to bond with them differently. My father, a former fisherman, has educated me about marine life since I was a kid. After taking environmental science courses and experiencing a month-long trip sea kayaking alongside orcas in Alaska, I grew to inherit my father’s love for the ocean and connect with my family in spirit.
It is within this pull between guilt and connection that we live as children faraway from home. This is a story about loss and grief under the context of diaspora and climate change, through the attempt to save a whale that has migrated from China to America, carrying songs that transcend time and space. Today, a growing number of whales are stranded potentially due to ocean warming and anthropogenic noises that disrupt their migration patterns. By inspiring deeper connections not only among diasporic communities but also with other species, this story serves as a call to action for collective efforts in conservation across cultures.
— Raina Yang
Scientific Topics and Themes
This story builds upon the essential parallel between humpback whales' cultural transmission through songs and human migrations across diverse cultures. Science assumes a central role as Yiling applies her expertise in marine biology to investigate the challenges faced by the stranded humpback whale and assess the potential outcomes of different rescue approaches.
I have had detailed consultations with our science advisors regarding different scientific topics in the script, including the migration pattern of humpback whales, the monitoring process and their songs, as well as the rescue protocols for stranded cetaceans. In the script, the characters try to save a repeatedly stranded humpback whale by dragging it into the ocean, but the protagonist points out that first, trained rescuers must be there to oversee the operation, and second, under the circumstance where rescue or euthanasia cannot be undertaken, the stranded cetacean should be made as comfortable as possible through appropriate care and allowed to die naturally.
Other examples in the script include the process of monitoring and analyzing hydrophone recordings, as well as the finding that there is a cultural transmission in the songs of humpback whales during their migrations. As our protagonist shares hydrophone recordings with locals and grapples with their differing beliefs, this story underscores how science fosters dialogue and connectivity through shared objectives. Through this project we hope to bring awareness to the wonderful vocal culture of humpback whales and their important relationships to coastal communities. We believe it is not only meaningful but also necessary to highlight the urgency to marine conservation in the present state of our environment.
The Film
This film opens a doorway into the world of marine science, weaving whale songs with human emotions and drawing parallels between their journeys and our own.
Our cinematography will create a seamless transition between reality and fantasy, using long takes and a poetic visual style that blurs the boundaries between external events and internal imagery. Time on screen will flow in harmony with Yiling's thoughts, at times racing, at other times slowing to capture moments of surprise and recognition.
The soundscape will be a key feature, centered on the connection between whale songs and folk music, inviting audiences to bond themselves with the natural environment much like the villagers do.
We create a bridge between her childhood in Chinese village and present tense in Newfoundland through both visual (shots, production design) and auditory elements. This shows the fluid spatiotemporality within a diasporic context, capturing the shadow of home at faraway places.