Diving for Ghosts
Samsung

Part of a series of films for Samsung x CNN, telling stories of inclusivity and accessibility.

At its heart is ocean conservationist Rob Wilson and his team at Ghost Diving New Zealand — and gave me the chance to take my first trip to NZ to capture it. Rob and his crew are uniquely dedicated: most hold day jobs and give their free time to planning and executing underwater cleanup missions around Wellington and beyond. They are a finely tuned machine, and endlessly eager to bring new people into the fold.

It was moving to watch a group of adults build community through acts of service — taking on forces as daunting as ocean pollution and climate change through repetitive, cumulative effort. This film is a love letter to them, and to the marine life they work so hard to protect. Huge thanks to DP Duncan Cole, who ran over beachrock chasing the last light of sunset, and underwater DP Kina Scollay, who also dives with sharks in his spare time. Legends, both.