We travel along the coastline for several days. All we need fits in our waterproof and floatable backpacks. We set out to explore nature and what we carry with us is reduced to a minimum. We dive deep into the ocean and swim along wild cliffs, discovering untouched beaches where we spend our nights under the clear sky.
- Bernhard Wache, Founder of Seatrekking.
It's highly possible that you never heard about seatrekking: the sport was created more than 12 years ago by German designer and free-diver Bernhard Wache who successfully combined diving and hiking, allowing adventurers to discover land and water without limits. This was made possible by a unique watertight rucksack, a result of years of experiments with different materials and technology. “We wanted to escape everyday life. We were looking for a way to feel what’s essential again", he says about his inspiration.
The new outdoor adventure became more than a sport: it changed to a philosophy - especially for filmmaker Cedric Schanze.
In 2015 Bernhard contacted me if I would like to become part of the film that he were planning to produce. I trained my free-diving skills (almost 5 minutes on a single breath) and we started shooting in Italy, travelled on towards Croatia, Tenerife, South Africa, Brazil and Egypt.
Cedric is a German filmmaker, photographer and director who creates "to learn, to feel, share and connect". His cinematic work appeared in commercials for clients such as Adidas, Mercedes Benz and Porsche, but he most of all believes in the power of personal projects and constantly seeks new ideas and collaborations.
SEATREKKING - Trekking the Ocean is a captivating combination of a dark tonality, cinematic moments and a great rhythm in the story. You don't have to be passionate about extreme adventures to fall in love with this film: it's full of beautiful shots and reveals a truly life-changing experience this sport meant for the filmmaker.
What is it about? Hiking, climbing, swimming and diving along coastlines, reaching and exploring places that are difficult to access in any other way, walking in a rugged terrain and finishing the days sleeping under the stars. The combination of underwater shots and the dramatic scenery are especially unusual: how often do you get to see the stunning underwater world, feeling almost as weightless as the film's protagonists? The viewer can even wonder while watching some of the transitions: is this an underwater scene? Or is this a landscape?
The film is not only a collection of outdoor shots: one of its strengths is the strong narrative. The phone call, a text written by Linda Moers is perfectly incorporated in the story and invites the viewer to become part of it: it's all about us and for us. Watch this short film, a perfect capture of what's the essence of this new concept of nature adventuring!
SEATREKKING -Trekking the Ocean
Follow Cedric Schanze on his Vimeo channel | Instagram | website.
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Diana Takácsová
Diana is a photographer interested in questions of identity. She seeks smaller stories that tell more about the whole, investigating the daily life of different groups and communities.
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