Women & the wind documentary
LOGLINE - Three women ignite the flames of curiosity and adventure which lay dormant within so many of us, by deepening our understanding of the synergy between nature and humanity—and by doing so radically, through a voyage across the North Atlantic.
SYNOPSIS
After over a year of rebuilding an old boat, and a month of waiting for wind, three women raised anchor and set sail from North Carolina with their compass pointing east. Their mission was simple: to follow the movement of plastic pollution along the Gulf Stream to Europe. As they departed, however, it became apparent that the journey would encompass so much more.
Kiana had sailed Mara Noka single-handed since 2018, so she was used to ocean passages. Lærke and Alizé on the other hand had little to no sailing experience, especially not a trans-Atlantic — but as land faded behind them, the feeling of unity between each other, the boat, and the ocean washed over them like a tidal wave.
Their first two weeks brought them the adventure they were hoping for, and the introspection they never expected. A four day calm in a plastic-littered ocean was followed by three powerful low pressures, 10-20 ft seas, torn sails, wet beds, rain, and no sunshine. Alizé was seasick the entire time, not being able to keep down food or water, but she kept the camera rolling throughout it all. Days passed where the only time possible to go outside was to use the toilet, or because getting sprayed by waves was preferable to the stuffy, wet cabins; until finally, the wind slowly abated, and the clouds gave way to much needed sunshine.
The remainder of the trip became one of reflection and connection. The oneness of nature and (wo)man had been shown in its most vivid form, through the splendour of the ocean. After being tossed about in an internal tempest just as real as the gale, the appearance of the sun brought a calm to each of the women, and the sound of laughter eventually became louder than that of the wind.
30 days at sea, with no sense of time or commitment — save night, day, and each other — and a simple routine as old as time — rest, eat, fish, survive, enjoy, and wait — was interrupted by the enchanting island of Flores. Approaching land proved to be the most difficult part of the voyage, as not one of the women wanted to let go of this special bond they had created between themselves, each other, and oneness. The return to civilization reminded the women why they went out in the first place: to bring attention to our impact on the life-force of the planet, the Ocean, and to allow as many people as possible to immerse themselves in the emotions felt and lessons learned on the voyage through an incomparable visual experience.
team
Production
Director of Photography
directors
Producer
Editor
composer
music editor and additional compositions
color-grading
sound mixing
sound designer
graphics
![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604529295a65b02982fdc451/bd255114-f396-4dd3-b63e-87b33278d35c/Screen+Shot+2023-01-08+at+11.50.24+AM.jpg)
FOCUS
Motivated by Kiana’s first North Atlantic crossing in 2019, where she witnessed a plastic-littered ocean, Mara Noka and Kiana, joined by filmmaker Alizé Jireh and environmentalist Lærke Heilmann, set off across the North Atlantic again in 2022 to follow plastic pollution on its ride to Europe via the Gulf Stream. Throughout the entirety of the voyage, larger floating debris including fishing nets, buckets, bottles, plastic bags, and nylon ropes were constant companions.
Though the initial intention of the film was to focus mainly on telling this story of plastic, the voyage took on a much more personal tone as the days progressed. The women were then faced with the reality of life at sea aboard a boat, for 30 days, with no space from each other or themselves. Calms and tempests reflected their own inner workings, and an entire moon’s cycle on the ocean brought their femininity to the forefront. They experienced their fragility and their strengths with an intensity that is unmatched, transforming this film into an intimate portrayal of woman and nature.
A very special and honorable thanks to all of our Kickstarter and patreon donors, without you our voyage would have remained just a voyage.