Documentary therapy

I am guiding immersive workshops in the craft and meditation of filming narrative-less stories in nature.

As film makers we have all changed over the last few years. The pandemic made it clear that some of us are burnt out from work. I personally realised how much my mind and body was wound up from all the years prior, running around countries filming on the go.

I even came to terms with the fact I had PTSD, something I was in denial about for a long time.

We have been trained as documentary makers to constantly seek out the story and narrative. And this too can be tiring.

As the world stopped in the first lockdowns, I went back to nature with my camera.

With my friend Rod Morris, we went on long walks with our camera’s and filmed in nature.

No narrative. Just static long shots of the beauty that was all around us.

The very art of using a tripod, and setting up your frame carefully like a painting - is an act of meditation.

I became addicted to this practice and through it I learnt how to slow down and reflect on my own film making practice.

On this workshop I will take small groups of up to 8 people on slow walks, that escape the sounds of cities, and cover the art of capturing nature.

Accompanied by nice food, fires, and camping; we will reflect on our work struggles and come together as film makers with solutions and connections.

Ultimately we will come out of this workshop with a clearer idea on how we want to conduct our lives as film-makers, with a focus on how to better our mental health.