In the Sea of Cortez, the vaquita, a critically endangered porpoise, faces extinction due to illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba. With fewer than 10 vaquitas remaining, urgent action is essential.
Sea Shepherd, a marine conservation organisation, tirelessly patrols the Vaquita Refuge to combat illegal fishing and protect these rare porpoises. Since 2015, they've removed thousands of illegal gillnets, saving countless marine lives.
I had the privilege of making films with Sea Shepherd in 2019 that expose the devastating bycatch of these illegal gillnets. This project highlights the urgent need for global cooperation to enforce environmental laws and save the vaquita. The battle is far from over, but with continued efforts and public awareness, there's hope.
Meet John Cole whose lens once captured the gritty essence of New York City's Gleason's Gym in the 1970s. Back then, amidst the sweat and shadows of the gym, John was both a writer for Newsweek and a passionate photographer.
His black-and-white frames immortalised the diverse mix of individuals who frequented Gleason's boxing gymnasium – blue-collar workers – each with dreams of making it big.
But despite his talent, John lacked the confidence to share his work with the world. While he held a couple of exhibitions, the bulk of his boxing photographs remained latent in negatives, contact sheets, and archives for five decades.
It wasn't until John's celebrated book, "Generations: Hastings Fishing Families," that his eye for capturing community stories found its voice. Now, John sets out to shed light on boxing's forgotten era.
John's endeavour to publish his boxing collection required a boost, through Kickstarter. Thrilled by the opportunity, I joined forces with John to create a film that would front the fundraiser and tell a slice of the story of boxings shadowy past.
Over a couple of weeks, I explored John's motivations and the project's background, capturing his insights through intimate interviews.
We then shot material at Hastings Westhill Boxing Club where we witnessed firsthand the echoes of Gleason's Gym. Through a blend of on-camera footage and audio interviews, we assembled the film you see here.
John is an amazing photographer, but he's also one hell of a storyteller. Have a look at the film and witness John's unmistakable East Coast drawl that matches the strong visuals so beautifully.
I hesitated to share this film due to its deeply personal nature as a tribute to my late father, fearing it might intrude upon my family's privacy.
But it’s been really positively received by everyone who’s seen it, and it also really helped toward raising funds for a charity I recently ran a half marathon for.
My dad had dementia and was close to the end of his life when I made this, it still surprises me now how eloquent he is and clear on what’s important to him.
Sharing it reminds me that when we’re creating stories, we can trust that by speaking from a private, personal and seemingly incomprehensible place, it is often the most resonant.
The psychologist Carl Rogers knew it when he said “what is most personal is most universal”. What surprised me about this film is just how easily it came together.
It took an afternoon to shoot and perhaps a day to edit - no time at all, really.
What’s behind that relative ease is an approach that I just wanted his words to speak for themselves with no particular ‘messaging’ or ‘call to action’
As it turns out, in the right context, a message was loud and clear regardless, and has moved people to donate.