Replanting A Garden
Short Documentary 14 min
In the wake of a devastating coral bleaching event, a group of Jamaican fishers, scientists, and marine wardens come together to restore their reef and the community that depends on it. Replanting a Garden follows the grassroots work of the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary as its members search for resilient coral, fragment and replant damaged reefs, and protect one of the Caribbean’s most threatened marine ecosystems.
Told through the voices of those who live and work on the water, the film draws a clear parallel between coral restoration and community gardening. Like a garden, the reef requires constant care, patience, and collective responsibility. The work is physical and ongoing, and its benefits extend beyond the environment itself. As coral returns, fish populations recover, livelihoods stabilize, and a shared sense of purpose grows within the community.
Rather than framing conservation as a distant or abstract solution, Replanting a Garden shows how environmental stewardship can strengthen social bonds and support local survival. The film highlights how science, traditional knowledge, and cooperation come together through hands-on labor, demonstrating that caring for the ocean is also a way of caring for one another.
Both intimate and urgent, the documentary offers a hopeful portrait of community-led conservation and a reminder that protecting the environment is not separate from community wellbeing, but deeply intertwined with it.
Director/ Producer:
Anthony William Wallace is a Canadian director, composer, and interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges documentary film, music, and sound installation. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Slaight Music Residency, Wallace has worked with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas as a field producer and cinematographer, capturing stories of environmental protection in remote wilderness regions. His work often explores the relationship between community, conservation, and culture, as seen in The Peel Project and his recent short, Replanting a Garden, documenting coral restoration efforts in Jamaica.
Blending immersive storytelling with a strong visual and musical aesthetic, Wallace’s films have screened nationally, and his sound art has been exhibited at institutions including the Yukon Arts Centre and Arts Commons Calgary. Based in Toronto, he continues to develop films and installations that amplify environmental science through artful, emotionally grounded storytelling.
Contact: Anthonywilliamwallace@gmail.com