Documentary by Seaver College Faculty and Students Premieres at Hawaii International Film Festival
On Sunday, October 19, 2025, the world premiere of Intertidal—a documentary film directed and produced by Seaver College professor of screen arts Paul B. Kim and professor of biology Florybeth La Valle and edited by Pepperdine alumnus Nicholas Yi (’25)—took place at the Hawaii International Film Festival, an Academy Award qualifying event.
“This is a major honor for a small project like Intertidal, and we are excited about the opportunity,” says Kim. “To us, premiering the film at the Hawaii International Film Festival is a celebration of the great research taking place in Seaver College’s Natural Science Division.”
Pepperdine's production team attended the documentary premiere
Intertidal follows La Valle and her Seaver College research students as they investigate submarine groundwater discharge—a potential source of pollution seeping out of Hawaii’s ocean floor. While focusing on this academic pursuit, the documentary emphasizes how scientific studies are a communal effort not just to advance knowledge but to enhance the lives of the general public.
Throughout Intertidal, La Valle and her students are shown collaborating with local Hawaiians to learn more about the state’s ecosystem, its traditions, and how the ocean influences their customs. With insights from Kanoe Morishige, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and a fellow producer of the project, the film educates viewers on the importance of using research to empower communities with data-driven information.
“This project is really about what it is like to do science in Hawaii,” says La Valle “It’s about what it is like to collaborate with others on applied research projects, where scientists ask questions and try to find answers about something in the real world that can help society at large.”
With this goal fuelling the creative project and shaping its narrative, Kim and his student collaborator, Yi, spent 10 days in Hawaii alongside La Valle’s research cohort. There, they filmed the scientists as they engaged in the data-collection process using snorkels, wet suits, and thermal drone imaging. Along with capturing the field work, Kim prioritized illustrating how the Pepperdine team met with community members, learned more about their needs, and discussed with them the data they were in the process of uncovering.
Vivid nature photography uplifts the film’s impact. Kim and Yi captured immersive video above and below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, giving viewers a firsthand look into the organic life that La Valle is studying with her students through a National Science Foundation grant. Beyond telling a compelling story, the film both depicts and represents the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.
“None of us assume that somebody from the arts has a whole lot to do with someone from the sciences,” says Kim. “It was interesting for me to discover that Dr. La Valle’s approach to science was similar to what some documentarians do: work within communities and find a solutions-oriented way to do research.”
Following its opening at the Hawaii International Film Festival, Kim and La Valle will present Intertidal at a number of different educational institutions throughout the West Coast. By airing the film in these specific settings, the two Seaver College faculty members aim to spark conversations around using academic research not just for the sake of career advancement, but for the sake of humanity at large.
Learn more about Intertidal by visiting the Hawaii International Film Festival website.