Arc of a Diver trailer from Oceana on Vimeo.
Happy new year, everyone! For my first blog post of 2009, I thought I'd give you something fun -- a video and interview with underwater filmmaker Steve Clark. Clark is a fashion photographer-turned-underwater filmmaker whose latest film, "Arc of a Diver," explores the wildlife of Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. The film, which was a finalist at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner, skillfully exhibits the beauty of rare sea creatures, and captures their remarkable behavior on camera. I spoke with Clark on the phone about the filmmaking process, his goals and passions, his perspective on conservation messaging, and his three favorite creatures -- the striated hairy frogfish, the blue-ringed octopus, and the flamboyant cuttlefish (all seen in the above trailer for the film).
You mention Carl Safina’s book at the beginning of the film. What was it about his book that inspired you so much?
First of all, I think it’s a brilliant book and it’s beautifully written. He was able to take me underwater. When I was a little boy I wanted to be an oceanographer. I was at my parents’ party and I announced that to some adult that was there, and this adult turned to me and pointed at me and said, “You can’t be an oceanographer, you’re not good enough at math.” And I believed this adult. I was a little kid, and I gave up on the spot. I ended up becoming a fashion photographer, and it wasn’t going that well and I wasn’t enjoying it that much, and I just felt unsatisfied. And this book just came to my attention and within two chapters I decided, “I’m gonna be an oceanographer, dammit!” That just morphed into an underwater filmmaker. I’ve never looked back and I’ve never regretted it for a second and that was nine years ago.
