Byron Bay filmmaker Darius Devas released a stunning ocean video portrait in response to the current Covid-19 pandemic.
"Ocean Medicine" combines two of the Australian's passions - filming the ocean and mental health.
The project was inspired by Devas' response to the Covid-19 crisis and the national lockdown that followed.
"I wanted to offer something to all those people confined to lockdown, especially in urban settings with minimal access to nature and allow people to pause and briefly take their mind away from all their worries," Darius Devas told SurferToday.
He drew on his extensive archive of ocean imagery to create a mesmerizing experience of oceanic landscapes, combined with calming, soothing sound design by Walker Lee.
Devas has been exploring high-speed ultra slow-motion camera technology in the ocean for more than a decade, to capture incredible imagery of the waves and water in fine detail.
His experimental oceanic short film "Within" was narrated by Guy Pierce and exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2014.
It's OK Not To Be OK
Last year, Devas released a mental health documentary series called "The Common Thread," in which young people from around Australia opened up about their mental health.
They also shared the tools and tactics that supported them. The series received over one million views online and screened on ABC Compass.
"Like many others working in the film and TV industry, all my work was canceled," adds the filmmaker.
"I found myself obsessively reading newspaper articles about every new development of this horrible virus, and it was driving my anxiety through the roof."
"Luckily for me, I have access to the ocean to calm my nerves. I started thinking about how grateful I am for where I live during this time."
"I thought I'd love to share some of my experience of the ocean with those who don't have access to it or any nature for that matter."
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