Soul in the Sea

Kirsty Carrington’s life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters Moko, a dolphin separated from his pod. She dives into Moko’s world as he befriends locals with his playful antics. His mischievous nature soon stirs conflict with fishermen and boaters. As threats to his safety mount, Kirsty leads a team of protective 'Moko Minders', despite Department of Conservation concerns over their interactions with wildlife. Amy Taylor's documentary highlights the delicate balance between humans and the natural world. After debuting on TV3 in 2012, this expanded 63-minute cut played at the 2013 NZ Film Festival. 

Even with my background as a marine biologist with years spent filming dolphins and whales I was still stunned by the experience. It was an easy decision to start filming, and for the next five months I mostly lived in my van, spending up to ten hours in or on the water each day. It didn’t take long to identify the main people around Moko and I was able to follow Kirsty on her mission to be Moko’s minder, along with the other locals who became part of Moko’s 'human pod'.

– Director Amy Taylor recalls when she first became familiar with Moko, Bay of Plenty Film, 9 June 2016

Key Cast & Crew

Michael Parfit

Executive Producer

Matthew Caradus

Composer

Suzanne Chisholm

Executive Producer

Amy Taylor

Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematographer

Dick Reade

Sound Mix, Sound Design

Mike Smith

Associate Producer