Pippa Ehrlich
Pippa Ehrlich is an Oscar and BAFTA-winning filmmaker and journalist whose work brings powerful conservation stories to a global audience. She co-directed the acclaimed feature My Octopus Teacher, a film that transformed perspectives on the human connection to nature.
Pippa has since directed My Mercury and Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, released on Netflix in 2025. Her work has won over 20 international awards, including the Wildscreen Golden Panda and Jackson Wild’s Grand Teton, placing her among the leading voices in environmental storytelling.
Pippa’s storytelling seamlessly blends scientific depth with emotional intimacy, making urgent conservation issues accessible to a worldwide audience. Her most recent feature, Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, follows the rehabilitation of one of the planet’s most vulnerable animals, highlighting the precarious balance between survival and exploitation. The film highlights her enduring commitment to species conservation and environmental awareness.
Before Pangolin, Pippa directed My Mercury and co-directed My Octopus Teacher, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2021 and a BAFTA. The film also received the Pare Lorentz Award from the International Documentary Association and numerous accolades that secured its position as one of the most celebrated nature documentaries of recent years.
For more than six years, Pippa has been part of the Sea Change Project, documenting South Africa’s Great African Seaforest and advancing efforts to safeguard the fragile ecosystems of Cape Town. She has worked alongside leading scientists and conservationists, edited the photographic book Sea Change: Primal Joy and the Art of Underwater Tracking, and serves as an advisor on Netflix Sustainability’s Independent Advisory Group. In 2024, she was honoured with the National Geographic Wayfinder Award for her innovative contribution to conservation storytelling.
Her roots in environmental journalism shaped Pippa’s journey into filmmaking. Before her work in cinema, she wrote for the Save Our Seas Foundation, collaborating with world-renowned marine researchers to translate complex science into compelling stories. This experience gave her the tools to develop narratives that resonate emotionally while maintaining accuracy and depth. A passionate freediver for over a decade, she utilises direct, physical immersion in the ocean to inform her perspective, cultivating a rare authenticity in her films.
Her vision is informed by the belief that stories can catalyse tangible change in the way societies value natural ecosystems. Through her films, books, and advocacy, Pippa has sought to elevate conservation beyond the scientific community, inspiring ordinary people, governments, and organisations to rethink their relationship with the planet. She has consistently emphasised that human wellbeing is inseparable from the health of the natural world.
As she continues to expand her body of work, Pippa remains at the forefront of a new wave of conservation filmmakers who bring a balance of cinematic craft, scientific rigour, and emotional intelligence to the global stage. Her career represents a commitment not only to art but also to lasting impact.
Alongside her film projects, Pippa regularly participates in international panels, workshops, and educational programmes, mentoring young filmmakers and conservationists. She is a member of collaborative networks that bring together scientists, storytellers, and policymakers, ensuring her work supports wider conservation goals. Her role with the Netflix Sustainability Independent Advisory Group underscores her influence on shaping how environmental issues are communicated on one of the world’s largest media platforms. This unique combination of filmmaking expertise and advisory leadership allows her to impact both audiences and institutions at a global level.