Film Review: ‘Women from the Sea’ By Raquel Clemente Martins

Across centuries, women have maintained deep connections with the ocean, ranging from the commercial to the deeply spiritual. A new documentary series by Portuguese Director Raquel Martins explores this unique relationship, beginning with ‘Women from the Sea – Azores’.

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With the United Nations High Seas Treaty coming into effect last week, the ocean is gaining more attention than ever. The new film series “Women from the Sea”, part of an internationally endorsed project under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, was created to amplify the often-overlooked voices of women in ocean conservation. 

The heart of the film series is a collection of interviews with women who have some type of relationship to the ocean, whether professional, geographical, or emotional. As of December, the project has completed more than 1,000 interviews in 29 countries. The protagonists are fisherwomen, biologists, scientists, and sailors as well as architects, lawyers, teachers, and other women who share a deep emotional connection to the sea.

The first film focuses on women in the Azores, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic and an autonomous region of Portugal. In the film, interview clips with women are alternated by footage of these women and girls interacting with the ocean and poetry readings in voiceover.

For the first part of the series, a total of 71 women from all nine islands of the archipelago were interviewed by Portuguese NGO Help Images. They span an extraordinary range of age, background, and profession. Their interviews, filmed against a velvet black background or interspersed with stunning natural footage of the Azores, are not shown in full; instead, individual clips have been grouped together around broad themes: personal and family backgrounds, their early relationship with the ocean, the challenges they and the ocean face together, and their hopes for the future.

What is most surprising about the women is how diverse they are. They range from natives of the archipelago and transplants from the Portuguese mainland to Polish and Spanish immigrants; some are scientists, while others are in the commercial fishing industry. Others are simply linked by a deep passion for the sea. The youngest is a nine-year-old girl, while the oldest can recall decades of love for the ocean, with several coming from families of fisherfolk stretching back generations. A few learned to swim before they could walk; others got their first glimpse of the ocean long after reaching adulthood. 

The dramatic Azorean landscape of plunging cliffs and rocky shores, with the waves of the restless ocean crashing against them, makes the film worth watching simply for the visual delight. In particular, its underwater cinematography puts the viewer in the ocean with the divers, snorkelers, and swimmers with an extraordinary immediacy.

The film begins and ends with a dramatic voiceover reading of Portuguese poetry that reflects its overall introspective, spiritual, and even somber tone. However, it is not without humor: several of the women give frank, outspoken interviews about their own challenges – for example, as the sole female fishing boat captain in a totally male profession – or the challenges that the sea faces today.

For these women, the sea is a source of experience, an inspiration, and their means of survival. At the same time, many have now begun to take on the role of the ocean’s protector. The final portion of the film, which focuses on the women’s observations of how the ocean has changed over time, serves as direct testimony to what might otherwise be the invisible impact of climate change on sea life.

The overall project is envisioned as a collection of feature-length documentaries filmed in diverse global locations, along with a four-part series delving into critical themes of marine litter, biodiversity, climate change, and circular economy. Each episode will be led by women making an impact in these areas through scientific research, academia, or through their professional careers. Its purpose is to increase public awareness of ocean health issues, the blue economy, and how gender equity enhances marine science and policy. The filmmakers are also establishing an online platform within the Ocean Decade Forum to unite women worldwide in ocean science, conservation, and innovation.

Watch Our Interview With Raquel

The first film premiered in the Azores in July 2025 and was subsequently screened in Portugal and other locations in Europe. It is coming to Hong Kong and Macau in February 2026. It will be available on streaming services following its theatrical release.

Women from the Sea: Azores (watch the trailer)
Directed by Raquel Clemente Martins
2025, Help Images, 77 minutes

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