Fighting for the Underdog follows the somewhat unremarkable experience of the Spurdog, an unassuming shark found along the British coastline whose story finally makes it to the spotlight. A previous staple of British fish and chips, has seen its protection go from no take to an open fishery in the space of just 10 years – but what does that mean to us? The documentary traces the sharks rise and fall in population through the eyes of those closest to it, the human experience as a result of our reliance on it. A true reminder of how we rely on the natural world, however far away we stray.
Blending interviews of stakeholders who wouldn’t usually share a screen, exploration of the underwater world, and a somewhat humorous approach to policy, Fighting for the Underdog is both a sharky story and a human experience. It explores how community can turn competition into collaboration, and how one species experience is emulated across the natural world, showing us that even the smallest of stories can make it to the surface. By Liberty Denham