Featured on National Geographic., RTL, CNN, Bermuda and Patagonia Film Festivals and also secured a coveted Vimeo Staff Pick.A lone freediver escapes to another world underwater where his impossible dreams become reality.
"The Superman" is a labour of love project for filmmakers Jack Pirie & Alex Hylands-White, made in collaboration with underwater photographers The Ocean Brothers and Bamford Watch Department. The short film follows diver Francisco Del Rosario, who lives on the remote island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands.
Francisco once dived competitively, striving to see how deep he could go underwater. But he soon realized that isn't why he started diving. Now he does it for the clarity of mind, the inexplicable sensations, and to visit another world beneath the waves.
We filmed Francisco for five days in the Canary Islands, on a shoestring budget and a team of three - not without incident! First a dislocated shoulder that happened while diving, then our main camera broke when the dodgy underwater casing flooded the camera... Given the remote location another one had to be delivered by plane the next morning - the only replacement within 500 miles.
The hero "ray of light" shot on the rock was a magical idea from Francisco himself (also our underwater photographer). He discovered this particular spot from many years diving in the area, and was waiting for a chance to film it in all its glory. Needless to say, it came out beautifully and he did a brilliant job filming it with Karsten Mohr.