The lovely people at Banff Mountain Film Festival had the wonderful idea of putting on an ocean film festival.

Naturally Land & Wave got involved in helping promote the event and we had a stand there last night.

Here is a quick review of some the films

You can see the blurb about all he films HERE

Alive: Out of Air

The film gave me a vivid appreciation for how breathtaking it must be to be under the ice caps, submerged in the underwater world with all the wildlife. Somewhere between Middle Earth, Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, only right here on Earth, in reality.  This appreciation is one I simply would never have without the incredibly brave work of camera men like Revetch, for which I am truly grateful. However I couldn’t help but think that it was a pretty dumb move to go down that seal hole. At least he admitted it was a dumb move.

And then we Swam

First impressions: More ‘crazy’ white middle class mens go off an do something epic – yawn…..

Next impression: The first impression is correct apart from the yawn bit.

The guys were funny, very British and I loved it. The way James’s illness when he was younger was delivered was spot on. Their laugh-in-the-face-of-adversity attitude is certainly one to aspire to.

I did feel that they did a little more preparation than the film led on to but this would equate to pretty much none in the scheme of things. They certainly took my mantra of Proper Planning Produces Piss Poor Adventure to the next level!

My lasting memory of this film is James’s attitude towards death (or facing it at least). I can’t articulate it the way he did during the film but the way he compared nearly dying of his GBS illness when he was young to drowning in the Indian Ocean was rather special. Essentially he articulated the cliché of ‘you need to have a near death experience to feel alive’ with out it sounding clichéd.

Duct Tape Surfing

Seen it before but it was still incredible. Perfect length. Left me inspired and wanting more.  My big take-away from this is don’t wait until you have an accident to do something that others might think is impossible. Don’t over complicated the barriers in your way – sometimes all you need is duct tape.

Haenyeo: Women of the Sea

I’ll probably be bringing this one up in the pub the most out of all the films. Very interesting although I would have liked to know what they were diving for and the economics around it. How did they miss this out? This film along with Variable have inspired me to eat more fresh produce!

Immersion

I like the way this film didn’t try and be too much more than dudes getting nailed by massive waves. It did (as do all big-wave surfing films) leave me wanting do know more about what happens after they get nailed. How long do they spend under water? How close the the cliffs are they? Do they swim down? How many die?

People Under The Sea

Far too long. Sorry. I know I am not the most arty person but this went on. Really interesting project and genuinely love it but 26 minutes should have been 12.

Riders to The Sea

Some great shots and a funny story. For me the most poignant message was that every needs some time all by their tod doing what you love ( you might meet a total babe) Do it, just go on your own. I am glad it was only 6 minutes and it did feel like and Animal commercial.

Sportlife Saga: Water 

Loved the comparison between free diving and base jumping but I think base jumping wins 😉 The only thing that this film added to the night of films was that how long he can hold his breath, which is bloody impressive but not enough to make the film stand out amongst the crowd.

The Giant & The Fishermen

Incredible footage of feeding these Whale Sharks but I cant help but feel they milked it for all its worth. At the end of the day it was just fisherman feeding fish. Thats probably a bit harsh and quite cynical but I feel 10 minutes rather than 15 would have been perfect for this one. The over-dramatic american presenter really got on my nerves as well.

Till the Luck Runs Dry

What to say… Man makes pattern with rake on a beach. Tide comes in. It’s alright.

Variable with Kimi Werner

I want to be cynical about this one but I can’t. I loved it. I think this film demonstrated the best relationship between humans and the ocean. The shots of her riding the shark were outstanding. I particularly  enjoyed her view on her position in the food chain. Really refreshing to hear.

All in all a great evening and looking forward to next year. I won a book!

04 October 2014 by TheBox