Come on down to the Two Oceans Aquarium on 24 May 2019 for a special screening of locally produced documentary Deep Blue \ Middle C. This genre-bending film was inspired by and takes place on the west coast of South Africa – a place of profound meaning and impact for filmmaker Bryan Little who, along with a group of his friends, spent 10 days and 10 nights re-connecting with the wild and enigmatic part of South Africa’s coast.
“For 10days&10nights, we made a studio on the beach, in the Elands Bay dustbowl. From it our feral family of surfers, artists, conservationists, musicians, chefs, mystics and foragers made music with our true selves. Exploring the greatest force on earth: we ate our fill from the wilderness.”
A Fly on the Wall production, Deep Blue \ Middle C is a force of nature itself, collaborated on by some of the Cape’s best known ocean heroes – including underwater filmmaker Steve Benjamin, surfer Andrew “Roosta” Lange and coastal forager Roushanna Gray – and it has to be seen to be believed. So, get in touch with your inner creative spirit and come and dip into to the West Coast in a way that’s completely new. completely immersive and completely unforgettable.
Event details
Date: 24 May 2019
Time: 18h30 for 19h00
Venue: Two Oceans Aquarium
Tickets: R195 through Quicket (includes the movie and snacks for dinner)
Cash bar will be available
All proceeds from this event will go towards the Turtle Rescue Programme of the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation.
What compelled you to make Deep Blue | Middle C?
A myriad of things; as a homage to what I consider a place of healing and joy at a time when I needed it more than ever.
It was also a trick to get my friends to camp out for 10 Days & 10 Nights on the West Coast! Something we have always threatened to do but never quite got to. It was a running joke in our crew that you could never survive it. “You’d turn into a kreef!”
Ultimately it is a film to thank the West Coast and celebrate it with the close friends who call this place a sanctuary. They happen to be super-creative people so the film reflects that.
What is it about the West Coast that has made such an impression on you?
As surfers, the West Coast is a pilgrimage; its raw rugged beauty and emptiness is filled with something I am addicted to. The extreme camping on this spectacular coastline or “feral-ing it” as we call it is something we both laugh about and miss deeply when we’re away from it. It is a place where things are simpler; food, fire, warmth, wind, sun, waves – these are the things that occupy you – and that’s a rare gift.
Who should see this film?
Anyone with a sense of wonder and awe for the outdoors, or has a love for the West Coast, this is a tribute film to a magical land/ocean-scape. We had the privilege of working with incredible underwater filmmakers like Steve Benjamin and surfers like Andrew “Roosta” Lange so it is a portrait above and below the waves made by a world-class crew of filmmakers dedicating their time to something they love. It’s really special because of that. It’s something really different that came from a place of earnest intention to find beauty.
Obviously, I also think a lot of surfers can relate to it as we are not the only group of friends who love the West Coast. I think they will see bit of themselves in it.
Can you briefly explain the title for us?
Deep Blue \ Middle C is derived from a concept by the philosopher David Chalmers. It’s an exploration of sensation and consciousness. Surfing, being in the ocean, is an incredibly sensory experience.
I also like the way it feels like it is talking about the sea or the ocean when in fact it is referring to a “middle” colour blue and the sound note that is the centre of the scale. It’s about sensation, consciousness, the ocean and balance. We humans always seem to want to find balance, a harmonious center, or do we?
This film is strikingly visual as well as auditory, so I feel that it works on that level too.
What did your experiences during 10 days & 10 nights teach you about the importance of connection and community when it comes to caring for and about our oceans?
One of the motivating drivers of this project was to explore community. A sense of community is at the core of this experience/film. I always say this film is one of the outcomes of a collective experience.
It is only through connection and community that collective consciousness can create tipping points that favour wilderness and biodiversity.
Individual or “I” is where we often go wrong as a species, “looking after number one” creates an apathy for anything else.
We all want to connect with something, to ‘”belong”, so a sense of community is a very powerful thing and a community that feels like they belong in nature and find peace and wonder there is transcendental.
Don’t miss out! Click here to get your tickets to this special screening of Deep Blue \ Middle C