Marine Life & Conservation
Scubaverse Film Review: Of Shark and Man
Of Shark and Man captivates from the very beginning as images of our home town of Manchester are overlaid with sharks swimming over a reef in the opening credits. Right at the start, David is asked what kind of story this film is going to be and he answers, “a love story” and we know we are watching a film made by someone who is passionate about what he does. It is a stylish production that tells the story of David quitting his job and heading off to dive “the best shark dive in the world” in Fiji.
The trailer can be seen here:
Whilst the film is told by David about his underwater experiences with the Bull Sharks of Fiji, he also tells the story about how this dive site, Shark Reef, came about, and how the local community are involved in the shark’s conservation. It is not just Bull Sharks, although they are the stars of the show, but the lovely underwater footage also gives us an insight into the many other sharks that visit this area. The film also covers the sensitive subject of shark feeding from both sides of the debate.
The film not only shows us the beauty of the sharks of Fiji, but also includes interviews with divers, business owners and local Fijians and gives us an insight into the area and those involved in the shark diving business. Obviously, the highlight is the shark diving footage, especially the moment David thinks it is a good idea to put his camera and housing out on a length of pole and watching the sharks take a good exploratory bite!
Will David reach his ultimate goal? To head out to the edge of the shark reef, where very few divers are allowed to go… you will just have to watch the film to find out.
What comes across most in this film is David’s passion for what he does. It is infectious.
If you have ever thought about giving up your job and just heading out the door to follow your dream, if you love sharks, if you are planning to go to Fiji to do this dive, or you have been before and want to re-live the moment then you should sit down and watch this film.
You can find out how by following this link:
https://www.scubaverse.com/shark-man-available-rent-buy-now/
More details about the film
Synopsis:
David Diley is a thirty-two year old man, trapped in a dead-end job in England’s industrial north and his life is going nowhere. He does however, have a lifelong dream…
Should David follow the advice of everyone around him and forget about it, or should he risk everything and against all the odds, take his one chance to fulfil his greatest ambition, an ambition which finds him in the middle of a feeding frenzy with sixty of the world’s most dangerous sharks?
“Of Shark and Man” is a ground-breaking film about one man’s journey to get closer than anyone thought possible, to the world’s biggest Bull Sharks and tell the incredible untold story of Shark Reef in Fiji, one of the greatest marine conservation successes of all time. “Of Shark and Man” is an epic, incredibly ambitious, cinematic and award-winning love letter to the world’s most feared predator, in which the shark is the hero.
Website: www.ofsharkandman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfSharkAndMan
Twitter: www.twitter.com/OfSharkAndMan
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5723720/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Technical Details:
Format: 1080p PAL 25fps
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Cinemascope 2:35:1)
Audio Mix: Stereo
Run time: 84 minutes
Key Cast & Crew:
Written, Produced & Directed by: David Diley
Key Cast: David Diley, Mike Neumann, Rusiate Balenagasau, Manasa Bulivou, Helen Sykes, Arthur Sokimi, Silio Raqatima, Iona Rokowai
Cinematography: Hugh Fairs, David Diley, Mike Neumann, Hamish Harper
Additional Camera Operators: Liam Andrew Wright, Olli Wilson
Sound Design: David Lawrie & David Diley
Audio Engineering & Production: David Lawrie
Production Assistant: Hamish Harper
Edited by: David Diley
Featuring Music by: David Lawrie, Haruko, Krimewave, Shields, G Productions, David Diley, Before The Beginning, Mark Burrows and Chris Zabriskie
Distributor: Shami Media Group
Awards & Nominations:
Winner – “Best Cinematography in a Documentary” (Berlin International Film-Maker Festival 2016)
Winner – “Best Editing in a Documentary” (Nice International Film Festival 2016)
Winner – “Best Sound Design” (Nice International Film Festival 2016)
Winner – “Best Film – Organisers Choice” (Cine Submarino des Aguimes 2015)
Winner – “Best Film – Audience Choice” (Cine Submarino des Aguimes 2015)
Nominated – “Best Director of a Feature Documentary” (Berlin International Film-Maker Festival 2016)
Nominated – “Best Science and Education Film” (Berlin International Film-Maker Festival 2016)
Nominated – “Best Cinematography in a Documentary” (Nice International Film Festival 2016)
Further Scubaverse Links
Scubaverse contributors Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown have also done this dive and their thoughts are here:
https://www.scubaverse.com/wonderful-waidroka/
Scubaverse contributor Ash Roberts also made a short video for Scubaverse about this dive and you can see this here:
https://www.scubaverse.com/fiji-shark-dive-ash-roberts-watch-video-2/
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Main Photo Credit: Michael Patrick O’Neill
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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