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:
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:
Scubaverse contributor Ash Roberts also made a short video for Scubaverse about this dive and you can see this here:
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Main Photo Credit: Michael Patrick O’Neill
