Last year in July non-profit conservation group Sea Shepherd, whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and the slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans, released a graphic video aimed to increase awareness of whaling. The 90-second film, titled The Ultimate Death Scene, recreates the stages of harpooning death of a whale by showing an Australian actor bloodied and writhing in pain. The “anti-whaling” campaign picked up a Bronze Lion in the Film Craft category at the 2016 Cannes Lions festival.

Independent Sydney agency The Works recruited renowned Australian film actor David Field to re-enact the inhumane slaughter that the large mammals are still subjected to in the world’s oceans, to drive support for this organisation and present it as the defender of these species.

Sea Shepherd points out that, since the International Whaling Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling, more than “25,000 of the mammals have been killed under the guise of scientific research by Iceland, Norway and Japan” and Managing Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, Jeff Hansen, adds: “The slaughter of these beautiful and majestic whales is horrifying, it needs to stop now. No one will ever know the pain and suffering these playful, gentle giants go through from the time the explosive harpoon ripped through their bodies to the time they drew their last breath in a red sea full of their own blood.”

WARNING: The video contains graphic scenes that some viewers may find disturbing.

You can visit Sea Shepherd’s site that shows how the non-staged “hunt” goes and where you can also donate to help fight their cause to conserve and protect ecosystems, species and to help ensure their survival for future generations. You can also watch behind the scenes video of the #UltimateDeathScene below.

Credits:

Sea Shepherd & The Works
Creative Partner: Paul Swann
Creative Leads: Adam Bodfish, Leo Barbosa and Mark Harricks
Digital Strategy Director: Damien Hughes
Planner: Leo Hennessy
Head of Digital Production: Dave Flanagan
Content Production Manager: Tristan Drummond
Senior Digital Designer: Kim Sanders
Social Media Strategist: Vanessa Hartley
Social Community Manager: Anna Lai
Project Management: Catriona Heaphy, Gillian Snowball and Juliette Hynes
Director: Tony Prescott