Documentary Film Score – Rame Pour Ta Planete
Table of Contents
Rame Pour Ta Planète — Documentary Film Score
Film: Rame Pour Ta Planète
Directors: Sabina Hourcade & Lucie Francini
Cinematography: Sabina Hourcade, Lucie Francini, Jonathan Roy
Montage & Post-Production: Sabina Hourcade
Project Overview
Rame Pour Ta Planète is a French environmental surf documentary shot along the Basque coast. The film follows a group of surfers who, inspired by the climate marches, decide in autumn 2018 to take action — to elevate the voice of the ocean and raise awareness within their community about the urgency of environmental change. Over a period of ten months, regardless of weather or sea conditions, they come together up and down the coastline for “rames” (rowing/paddling events), calling on both individual and collective change. Nearly 70 of these events unfold locally — and in turn, similar actions begin elsewhere in France and beyond.
My Contribution: Documentary Film Score
For Rame Pour Ta Planète, I was tasked with composing a documentary film score that would echo the film’s environmental urgency, the power of the ocean, and the quiet resolve of community action. The goal was to craft music that can:
Reflect both the vast, shifting moods of ocean and coast (from calm tides to tumultuous surf)
Underscore the emotional weight of environmental degradation and the fragile beauty of nature
Support the storytelling of activism — the persistence, the hope, the strain — without overwhelming the visuals or voices of the surfers
Blend elements of ambient textures, acoustic instrumentation, and occasional rhythmic motifs to evoke both grounding and movement
Highlights & Approach
Motivic Threads: I developed recurring musical motifs to represent the ocean, the surfers’ bond, and the climate consciousness — enabling the score to tie together disparate locales and moments.
Dynamic Contrast: Quiet, introspective cues accompany reflective coast-scenes; more driving, rhythmic textures emerge in “rame” gatherings or when the film pushes toward calls for action.
Natural Sound Integration: I wove in ambient environmental sounds (ocean waves, wind, surf) to let the soundtrack breathe with the landscape.
Collaboration & Editing: I worked closely with the directors during editing, aligning music cues with visual rhythms (paddling, waves crashing, communal gathering) to enhance pacing and emotional arcs.
Impact & Takeaway
The score helps anchor the film’s dual message: urgency about environmental crises, and empowerment through collective action
It provides a sonic mirror to nature’s beauty and fragility, reinforcing the audience’s emotional connection to the ocean and community
By balancing restraint with moments of intensity, the soundtrack supports rather than dominates — letting the visuals, protagonists, and message remain front and center
Click here to watch the trailer for the documentary film score featuring the track ‘Beautiful Unknown’.
