Trade Secret: You Thought They Were Protected
UAE PREMIERE
Some stories change how you see the world. They do not shout. They reveal what hides in plain sight.
In this keynote session, you meet filmmaker Abraham Joffe in a short pre-screening interview. He sets the scene for his investigative documentary, Trade Secret. He explains what pulled him into the subject. He also explains why this story matters now.
The screening takes you into a startling reality. A global commercial trade continues around a climate crisis symbol. The film shows where legality, policy, and commerce overlap. Most people never see these connections. Trade Secret stays calm and deliberate. It builds its case through access, observation, and evidence.
This session welcomes filmmakers, photographers, conservation professionals, and anyone who cares about the natural world. It asks a simple question with hard consequences. When protection exists on paper, what happens in practice, and who pays the price?
Footnote: Abraham Joffe will also join a separate, longer conversation with Adam Cruise on 2nd February 2026
- Duration 2 hours
Date
- 31 Jan 2026
Time
- 18:00 - 20:00
Labels
- Film Screening,
- Live Stage Interview
Location
Speaker
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Abraham JoffeAbraham Joffe ACS is a director, producer, and cinematographer across natural history, documentary, and investigative storytelling. He created Tales by Light and was named Australian Cinematographer of the Year in 2017. He led the Southern Ocean episode of "Our Oceans," narrated by Barack Obama, which was released worldwide in 2024. His feature Trade Secret, a six-year investigation filmed across nine countries into the polar bear skin trade, won the Golden Panda at Wildscreen in 2025. Founder of Untitled Film Works, he brings expertise in diving and drone technology.
Moderator
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Pippa EhrlichPippa Ehrlich is an Oscar and BAFTA-winning filmmaker and journalist specialising in conservation and human-nature storytelling. She co-directed My Octopus Teacher, directed My Mercury, and released Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey on Netflix in 2025. Her films have won over 20 awards, including the Wildscreen Golden Panda and Jackson Wild’s Grand Teton. A member of the Sea Change Project and advisor to Netflix Sustainability, Pippa combines filmmaking, journalism, and freediving to create immersive narratives that inspire global audiences and drive conservation action.
