South Africa / 2009 / 26mins / Drama / English and Afrikaans

Two young brothers are the best divers in the abalone poaching industry on the southern coast of South Africa, but trying to survive between the rival gangs and corrupt police, they soon discover that innocence is the first thing the sea takes back in return.

Jan-Hendrik Beetge

Jan-Hendrik Beetge is a passionate and dedicated commercials and narrative filmmaker, writer and photographer. After the international success of his first film, Triomfeer, Beetge became esteemed in the industry as a director truly dedicated to his craft and vision. In 2009 he wrote, directed and co-produced his second film, The Abyss Boys, a story of two brothers caught in the underground world of illegal abalone poaching–a world from which they cannot escape–and once again the awards and nominations came in. Being a true visual storyteller at heart, Jan-Hendrik Beetge's cinematic strengths lie in precise and distinctive visuals combined with sincere and compelling characters that live harmoniously within a vividly emotional story. His deep love for photography and his determined search for that one frame that encapsulates it all are evident in all his work. Learn More