RISING TO THE SURFACE

LOGLINE

A woman sinks into darkness and rises toward light in a stark underwater portrait of trauma and survival — a 59-second act of defiance and reclamation.

SYNOPSIS

Rising to the Surface is a one-minute experimental short told entirely underwater. With no dialogue and no exposition, it distills trauma recovery into pure image and sound — the suffocating weight of descent, the surrender, and the fragile, deliberate act of rising. Shot as a visceral meditation, it reflects both a personal journey through PTSD and a universal metaphor for resilience.

CREDITS

Writer/Director: Serani

Cinematography/Editing: Serani

Cast: Emily Holden

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

I crafted Rising to the Surface to capture resilience in a single moment: one choice, one breath, one chance. The film rejects exposition and leans on silence, sound, and image to convey the emotional shift from surrender to hope. It is both deeply personal and universal. A meditation on trauma, and a reminder that even in the darkest depths, light can return.

Film Stills

A few images of Emily twirling beneath the surface of the Mediterranean sea

Behind-the-Scenes

A few screenshots of our film shoot - shot at Em's Cave in Altafulla, Spain in July 2025

Director Bio

Serani began her film career in 1991, working on international features with directors such as Bruce Beresford and alongside actors including Sean Connery and Eric Roberts. Through the 1990s she directed music videos for Sony BMG and EMI, honing her eye for striking visual storytelling. In 2011, she won a Mofilm Super Bowl award for a Chevrolet commercial she directed - an audacious comedic piece that showcased her bold style. Threafter, she was hired as executive producer (commercials division) at LA-based Production Inc. in Prague, co-producers of Quintin Tarantino’s “Hostel” and “A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” starring Sean Connery. After a break, she returned in 2025 with a renewed creative vision. “Rising to the Surface” marks her return to directing - a visceral underwater short that reflects her own personal journey through PTSD and her creative resurgence.