Empire at Sea

Synopsis

Empire At Sea is a Solarpunk AR drama about a group of climate scientists who move to a remote oil rig for their summer sabbatical to attempt to create a sustainable city at sea. Halfway through the summer, the big one hits and wipes out the mainland. Unable to make contact, they must fend for themselves. This episodic, interactive drama was commissioned by the Lincoln Center. It speaks directly to the climate change generation with a thrilling father-daughter story that addresses themes of sustainability, immigration, and multicultural communities. It features a diverse and recognizable cast, including Orlando Jones, Ayelet Zurer, Geoffrey Arend, and Beth Grant.

Statement

Climate science has a communication problem. How do we make climate science feel urgent, culturally resonant, and emotionally real for a broad public? The data is clear, the models are precise, and the urgency is beyond dispute — yet the public understanding of what climate change means for human communities, relationships, and survival remains dangerously abstract. Empire At Sea was built to use breakthrough holographic technology to make climate science emotionally immediate for the audiences who need it most: the younger generations who will live within the consequences of inaction. The dramatic story presents scientific concepts with integrity: insect protein as sustainable nutrition, water reclamation, and offshore renewable energy infrastructure. The Solarpunk genre in which the story operates is explicitly optimistic about science and human ingenuity, making it a uniquely powerful vehicle for communication and social change.

Credits

Director

Peter Flaherty

Production

Flaherty Pictures (Peter Flaherty), 4DV.ai (Jiaming Sun, Isaac Krauss, Yuke Ding), NightLIght Labs (Jesse Garrison, Trey Gilmore, Sal Mannino)

Running Time

22'

Language

English

Country

USA

Main Cast

Orlando Jones, Ayelet Zurer, Imani Jade Powers, Geoffrey Arend, Beth Grant, Terrence Bernie Hines, Charlene deGuzman, Julanne Chidi Hill, Mary Chieffo, Robert Baker

Screenplay

Peter Flaherty, Merritt Tierce, Julia Dyer, Hannah Pearl Utt

Editor

Peter Flaherty

Music

Sage Lewis, Odeya Nini, Gavin Templeton

Sound

Scott Hirsch

Art direction

Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa

Lead developer and technical director

Jesse Garrison

Developers

Arvin Tehrani, Kat Fox, Ryan Nelson

Lead designer

Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa

Designers

Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Gehrig Campbell-Dempsey, Arvin Tehrani, Kat Fox, Ryan Nelson

Artists

Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa

Technical team

Shaurjya Banerjee, Jackie Aldern, Kensaku Shinohara, Tomoko Shinohara, JOE