Today Whipped Sea and Abacus Media Rights are delighted to announce that the documentary feature Savage Waters will celebrate its World Premiere as the Opening Night Film at DocLands Documentary Film Festival in Marin County, California on 5th May 2022. The screening will be followed by a special Q&A.
Savage Waters is directed by Mikey Corker (Beneath The Surface), produced by Ghislaine Couvillat (Girls Can’t Surf, Against The Tides, The Quest for the Wild) of Whipped Sea and edited by Emmy Award winning Editor Jordan Montminy (The 8th, A Courtship), with story consultation from BAFTA award winning Nic Guttridge (The Spy Who Fell To Earth, The Night Caller).
The sound was mixed by BAFTA award winning Karl Mainzer and the original score was composed by the artist duo AVAWAVES, consisting of Aisling Brouwer and Anna Phoebe. AVAWAVES are signed to One Little Independent Records and are published and represented by Manners McDade.
Maia Norman, Kathleen Glynn (Sicko, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11), Peggy Cafferty and Lorcan Kavanagh are Executive Producers and Play House Studios have delivered post-production services on the project. Savage Waters is distributed internationally by Abacus Media Rights.
Narrated by the legendary Charles Dance, the film boasts jaw-dropping cinematography, and follows remarkable protagonists, for whom living life to the full often means putting themselves in harm’s way.
How far would you go searching for something that may not exist?
A 19th century treasure-hunter’s journal inspires a captivating journey to seek out and surf a mythical, never-ridden wave in some of the most remote and dangerous waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
For renowned skipper, Matt Knight, sailing to unpredictable and uncharted regions is impossible to resist. As a lifelong thrill-seeker, he is constantly testing the limits of what’s possible, something world-class big wave surfer Andrew Cotton has also built his career on.
With family and friends, they board the beautiful catamaran Hecate and follow clues to this ‘perfect wave’, but not everything goes to plan, with serious injury and life-threatening challenges testing the crew’s resilience and attitudes towards risk.
Director Mikey Corker began his career as a camera assistant on feature films, gaining a vital foundation in filmmaking and the hunger to become a director and cinematographer in his own right.
He has a long-term love of the ocean and a fascination for those who understand its brutal power and yet are unable to resist its lure. After multiple award-winning short films, Savage Waters is his first feature-length documentary and depicts remarkable individuals in the jaw-dropping seas they hope to conquer.
Director Mikey Corker said: “As a storyteller, a father and husband, and an adventuring surfer, my personal viewpoint is strongly woven into the fabric of this film. I’m expecting public feedback to raise heated opinions around topics such as risk versus reward and what ‘responsible’ parenting should look like – but I hope this story reflects my standpoint that in order to live life to its fullest, we sometimes have to tiptoe to the edge of comfort, even if it’s just to find out where our limits lie. The overarching aim is to make a film that inspires others, just as spending time with the protagonists has inspired me to step out of my own comfort zone on many occasions.”
Joni Cooper, DocLands Director of Programming, said “Savage Waters is a gloriously cinematic film that sailors, surfers, and all ocean lovers will appreciate — which is why we are absolutely thrilled to present its World Premiere at DocLands Documentary Film Festival in the San Francisco Bay Area. The story is imbued with the indomitable spirit that is demanded by true adventure—and invites the audience to roll with the exhilarating waves, alongside the most delightful crew on a voyage to remember.”
Ghislaine Couvillat of Whipped Sea said: “We are delighted that our World Premiere is taking place at DocLands. We hope the audience completely falls in love with this stunning adventure. As filmmakers, we are always privileged to document the lives of incredible individuals. I have been in awe of our protagonists and their resilience faced with injury and life-threatening challenges, as well as their commitment to a well-lived life and their constant thirst for adventure.”
Kathleen Glynn describes Savage Waters as “A dramatic and gorgeous documentary feature shot under risk while meeting the challenge of adventure. Family bonding meets epic surfing.”
Jonathan Ford, Managing Director at Abacus Media Rights, comments, “This is a stunning documentary feature. We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to be working with Whipped Sea to offer this to the world.”
