North Sea’s hidden world revealed: ‘Sharks are my film stars’

For years, the North Sea has been dismissed as a murky, grey stretch of water. Now, a new documentary promises to change that view, pulling back the waves to reveal a kaleidoscope of life beneath the surface. Dutch cinematographer Peter van Rodijnen spent over two decades diving in the North Sea, often to the confusion of friends and family. They wondered why he devoted so much time to exploring what they called a “murky bowl of soup.” Van Rodijnen’s inspiration came from childhood. He grew up watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures in clearer, more temperate waters. That early passion drove him to unlock the hidden beauty of his own coastal home. Over 20 years, improvements in camera technology allowed Van Rodijnen to capture increasingly stunning footage of marine life. His persistence paid off. Nearly a decade ago, he teamed up with director Mark Verkerk to turn that footage into a feature film. “We started with the idea,” says Van Rodijnen, “that if somebody can make a movie about the North Sea, it’s got to be us.” The challenge was real. Epic plankton blooms often cloud the water, making filming notoriously difficult. But the result offers a rare glimpse of a vibrant underwater world, home to seals, sharks, tuna, orcas, and the lesser-known shorthorn sculpin. For Van Rodijnen, the ocean’s predators are the true stars. “Sharks are my film stars,” he says, capturing the spirit of a project that redefines a sea many had written off.