Grown in the Shadow of Mountains tells the story of Portugal’s deep-rooted relationship with the sea, and how that ancient connection is being reimagined for the future.
In 1308, King Dinis, known as Portugal’s “Farmer King,” mandated the harvest of seaweed to fertilize farmland, strengthening coastal communities through a thriving land-sea economy. Centuries later, that legacy is being revived.
Together with Hope Zones Foundation and the Nazaré fishing community, Seatrees is helping establish Portugal’s first regenerative seaweed farm — restoring underwater forests that support biodiversity, rebuild fish stocks, create sustainable livelihoods, and naturally enrich the land once more.
Set beneath the world’s biggest waves, this film explores how local surfers, fishers, and scientists are growing a new blue economy — one rooted in tradition, powered by regeneration, and built for a more resilient ocean.
Plant your own kelp seedling and help grow Portugal’s underwater forests here.