Following a devastating coral bleaching event in Jamaica, fishers and coral gardeners work to restore damaged reefs and rebuild the ecosystem their community depends on. Through local knowledge, persistence, and conservation action, they search for surviving coral and begin the long process of recovery. Long synopsis 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.

Filmmaker details: Anthony William Wallace

Anthony William Wallace is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and award-winning composer whose work explores the relationship between people, place, and the natural world. Over the past decade he has filmed projects across every province and territory in Canada, collaborating with organizations and broadcasters including National Geographic Pristine Seas, Discovery Channel, CBC, APTN, Canadian Press, and Canadian Heritage. Working across both film and music, Anthony brings a cross-disciplinary approach to storytelling. In addition to directing and cinematography, he composes music for film and television and received a Canadian Screen Music Award in 2024. His compositions have been featured in projects including HBO’s Heated Rivalry as well as documentary and feature film productions. An alumnus of the Banff Centre Wilderness Filmmaking Program and the Canadian Film Centre, Anthony’s work spans documentary filmmaking, orchestral composition, and site-specific sound installations. Whether filming in the Arctic, beneath the ocean, or creating immersive musical experiences, his work seeks to deepen our understanding of the landscapes, ecosystems, and communities that shape our world.