A documentary on the relationship between humans and whales.
The Story
SPYHOP explores the extraordinary relationship between humans and whales — shaped by fear, exploitation, love, and perhaps, mutual curiosity. Filmed over several years, it is the story of two mammals who could hardly be farther apart, yet seem somehow deeply connected, each influencing the other.
Filmmaker's Statement
For twenty years, I've spent my time behind a camera, photographing and filming wildlife — trying, in my own way, to help people fall in love with the natural world enough to protect it.
In 2022, I picked up a 1000-fps slow-motion camera, curious what it might reveal about creatures too vast and too slow for our eyes to properly take in. Whales, it turned out, were made for this kind of looking. What I saw the first time I slowed one down stopped me — there was an artistry to how they moved that I hadn't expected, and hadn't seen captured quite this way before.
That curiosity became something deeper. I spent more time on the water, made friends among the guides and naturalists who know these animals best, and learned things that reshaped how I saw the relationship between us and whales. Some of what I learned — the history of hunting them, in particular — made no sense to me. And some of it — the sheer joy on people's faces the first time they see a whale up close — amazed me just as much.
SPYHOP is my attempt to share that journey: stunning visuals, a carefully curated presentation, and a story worth telling well.
— Rajesh Mohanasundaram
Supporters
This film exists because these people and organizations believed in it early.
Top Supporters
Wanted
This film is still taking shape, and a few key voices are missing. If one of these is you, I'd like to hear from you.
Willing to experiment — someone interested in bringing vocals into the score, working with whale song and water in unconventional ways.
Someone who can bring the emotion — a narrator who can carry curiosity, awe, and restraint in the same breath.
Researchers and field specialists, especially in whale entanglement — I'm looking to speak with people doing this work directly.
If your life has been deeply impacted by whales, I want to hear from you.
Tell me a bit about yourself and what you'd bring to the project.
Support
SPYHOP isn't backed by any studio — it's entirely self-funded. Public support, in the form of encouragement, word-of-mouth, and any help along the way, is key to this project's success. As the film develops, that moral support will play a big role.
As I enter the phase of putting it all together, I need professional help and funding to complete and promote the film. Anyone willing to sponsor part of the costs would be a welcome relief. Please email info@spyhopfilm.com.