I’m pleased to be able present a new film for High. It is called Djupavik and features Ilse De Boer and Sophie Vlaming.

Iceland is a very young country sitting on new volcanic rock formations. Djupavik itself sits on the north west tip of the country far removed from everyone and everywhere, you don’t get there by accident, and its all the more inspiring because of this isolation at the edge of the world. The volcanic mountains create a genuine sense of awe as you take in the violent untouched drama of it all and then, as you gather your thoughts, you can look down and explore the macro with hot springs spilling out of the ground at the side of a road creating algae that is not far removed from the original life forms on earth. It was a rich backdrop for our story and a rare experience to be savoured.

If you are lucky enough to be in an all encompassing environment, away from technology and spending a few days in a remote spot I find it lends an energy to everyone. As a director it helps you to concentrate a little more on sailing the ‘ship’, and harnessing this natural energy in the air simply steering on the breeze, riding the eddies and teasing the moments out from the models and stylists who are equally inspired. It was one of my favourite experiences as a photographer and I would encourage everyone to visit for the experience of looking back in time to the creation of the earth but also to meet the local people who are a vital ingredient in preserving it all. The Djupavik hotel and production crew from True North might be invisible in the film but the family atmosphere they created at our little base camp made the work a joy.

Djupavik is a mysterious site. It revolves entirely around an old factory that in the 1930‘s, was the biggest herring factory in Europe. Now all that remains is the derelict concrete building and the Djupavik hotel and guest houses close by. The owners are slowly restoring the factory as a multi use industrial space and in the past Sigur Ros played there during a tour of Iceland, it appeared in their film Heima