ABOUT

For a while I have been wanting to make a follow up film to my short film JOHANNA - Under The Ice. After making that film I became aware of the open water swimming community and wanted to make a film about it.
Through instagram I stumbled across Vivien Solari and contacted her to see if she’d like to be in the project. She liked the idea so I went to meet her and we went for a sea swim on the south coast.
I was struck by her connection to the water. The only other person I had seen that comfortable in cold water was Johanna Nordblad. I knew I had the right protagonist for the film.
Vivien where possible likes to swim naked. This I felt would add enormously to the aesthetic of the film but also adds some logistical problems. We needed to find somewhere remote but also I felt as it was such an intimate situation I didn’t want a full film crew there. I decided to shoot it myself.
Last December we headed to South Cornwall to make the film. At 6.30am on our first morning we trekked in the pitch black 1.5km to a secluded beach. I prepped my camera and we waited for the blue light to start to rise on the horizon. The only noise was the water, the crackling fire and the gulls in the far distance. Because of the cold Vivien could only stay in the water for 10 minutes so I had to be ready. We shot 6 sessions over 3 days in varying light, weather and sea states which at times didn’t make things easy.
No film is made without a team. I am privileged to have friends who share my passion for film making. A huge thank you to Joe Walton, Charlotte Raven, Andy Carroll, Seamus O'Kane and Lewis Jefferies. Your time skill and expertise have elevated this film and made it everything I hoped it could be.
Finally I should mention Vivien Solari who was an absolute joy to collaborate with. Keep swimming, keep inspiring.

Ian