Orca: Black & White Gold

Orca: Black & White Gold is a nature and political thriller documentary by Terra Mater Studios, directed by Sarah Nörenberg and written by Mark Monroe (The Cove).

The film sheds light on the illegal trade in orcas and belugas from Russia to China. Investigative journalists, activists and a former undercover trainer uncover the workings of an international capture and trade network that treats these marine mammals as commodities.

At the heart of the documentary is a facility in Russia’s Far East that became known as the “Whale Jail”. More than 100 orcas and belugas were held captive there. Following massive international protests and mounting public pressure, the animals were eventually released in an elaborate operation spanning around 1,000 miles.

The film won the Grand Jury Award at the Blue Water Film Festival, Best Director at the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco and the Programmer Prize at Wildscreen. We’re proud to have been part of this exciting film project.

After The Ivory Game and Sea of Shadows, we once again delivered the entire graphics package for a Terra Mater documentary, including the opening title sequence and all the graphic inserts. Below you will find some location inserts, variations, news clips and the title sequence.