almost static

Can you guess how long this breath hold was? The first time i ever saw a breath hold in competition, an odd thing happened: i was watching a man laying still, face down in the water, and part of it was obviously boring. Nothing happened. But there’s also the part of you that wants him to breathe, that emphasises. And then he went over 5 minutes, and that emphasising part of me started taking over - i could see his contractions, the tiny movements in his rib cage, and it was both mesmerising and slightly petrifying. He went over 8 minutes and i was completely enthralled by it. Afterwards i was not just amazed by his achievement, but also by how watching a man lay still could be so hypnotic. So i’ve always wanted to film something that showed that hypnotic quality of a static breath hold, that showed how you slowly drift away during your hold, and then when it gets a bit trippy, you have to reign it in again and pay closer attention to your thoughts, make sure you’re clear. Luckily, i know some p