Groundbreaking work to celebrate and conserve the island’s unique marine environment will get its Bermuda debut tonight at the Speciality Cinema in Hamilton.

Heart of the Sea, a labour of love by businessman and environmentalist Kevin Richards with the photographer and conservationist JP Rouja, of Nonsuch Expeditions, explores Bermuda’s maritime traditions, rich sea life and efforts to pioneer the “blue economy”.

It screened in Dubai when Mr Richards, the head of Bermuda Asset Management, hosted a three-day Bermuda Day Forum as part of COP28. It was screened and won awards at a host of film festivals last year.

Along with Heart of the Sea, the Our Ocean film series, from 7pm, comes with a showing of the documentaryShark Country, featuring legendary Bermudian ocean pioneer Teddy Tucker, as well as other short marine films.

Mr Richards described Heart of the Sea as encompassing “Bermuda’s history with humans arriving by shipwreck and how people had to figure out how to survive here, through to the traditional culture around shipwrecks, and the different innovations I saw happening in Bermuda”.

They range from genetic research on the island’s corals by scientist Carika Weldon to the “innovations happening on the policy side, with the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme”.

The film links the past and present using the island’s Gombey tradition, bringing together “Bermudian scientists, poets and political leaders”.

Mr Richards said Mr Rouja, as organiser and experienced “man behind the camera”, proved instrumental on the filming and execution.

He added: “This was very much out of my typical element — and so I called on him to help me out.”

After the Our Ocean film series, the documentary will be available through the Bermuda Innovation and Technology Association website, www.bita.bm.

Doors open at the Speciality Cinema and Grill at 6.30pm, with tickets available for $20.