A short story about freedom.
Canadian Swimmer Norman Piche' became the world record for swimming across 5 continents in less than 80 days.
An athletic and humanitarian odyssey and manifesto around the world and beyond borders.
An athletic and humanitarian odyssey and manifesto around the world and beyond borders.
All the way is a voyeuristic film about a man and his mission into deep and unexplored emotions and limits, into deep consciousness and nature.
As Ulysses, He is driven by the investigation
of the true self to find liberation and the forgotten beauty.
of the true self to find liberation and the forgotten beauty.
Directed and edited by Lavinia Casaburo
Swimmer Norman Piche'
Piano by Eric Radford , Song "Another time" City of the Sun" , Voice Over Tom o' Bedlan .
Swimmer Norman Piche'
Piano by Eric Radford , Song "Another time" City of the Sun" , Voice Over Tom o' Bedlan .
If happiness is only real when shared, I really want to tell you this story.
Summer 2017.
One of those days that will change your life forever.
From London, I fly to Tarifa to visit my sister.
If I need to be honest, I didn’t even want to go there, not for Ari, of course, but just because it was not the right time for me.
I was just back from France and my plan was to stay in London and work work work.
Just a few days, a few clothes and my camera, all fine.
At least I’ll take some pictures, I thought.
For those who don’t know Tarifa, it's a small village in South of Spain, in front of Morocco, where Europe and Africa kiss each other, where Christians and Muslims fought for centuries, where Ponente e Levante dance tirelessly, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea melt together.
I don’t know if I am able to describe how energetically powerful this place is but I’ ll try.
I decide to stay in a surf house, two steps from the sea and protected by an ancient Pines wood.
As usually happens in this situation, I start to meet wonderful souls with amazing stories.
Soon We become a tight-knit group.
We don’t care about asking each other which was our surnames, our jobs, our CVS.
We just knew of each other what was happening there and it was enough for our bare feet, burned cheeks and smiley eyes.
Straight I realise it was the best scenario for my next project, I didn’t know when, how, who, but I knew I was going to come back home with those emotions recorded.
I wrote a script based on a Bukowski poem that I had ready but I needed to find the right surfer, the right waves and the right spot and more than all, a boat.
One guy, Normand, with a funny French Canadian accent, was writing a book and was really excited about my story so he offers me his full help in the production.
Really motivated, I start to speak with all those around me but, unluckily, lots of surfers and no waves.
Lots of people who have an hermano who has an amigo who owns a boat... ...that in my experience means, no boat.
Days were passing and slowly my enthusiasm was getting low.
All the things I was looking for, were just too far away from me at the moment.
So I decided that for one day I needed to take a break from the project.
It was a late night and We were lying in the chillout area, chatting under a dark night full of stars and Norman tell us something more about the book he was writing.
The book was based on his worldwide expedition.
The guy in front of me, the guy who was so much supporting my project, He became the world record for swimming across the 5 continents in less the 80 days.
This was what his book was about.
When I heard these words, I was on my back, and Orion’s belt was lighting my face.
The guy I was looking for my story has was always been there, on my side but I was so busy looking around to notice him.
The magic story starts that night.
The morning after, I was really excited but at the same time, lots of other doubts were appearing.
How can I film a professional swimmer with my small Olympus camera and with no crew and no boat?
Before the sun is up, I roll out of my bed and as I am used to do, I go to walk on the beach.
The time when the moon and sun are together in the sky, and Nature is slowly waking up.
I need a boat.
I walk for more than one hour watching my feet in the sand.
The coast was a silent desert.
I need to find a boat.
I can’t rely on other people, I can’t wait anymore.
I am the one who needs to find a boat.
When this thought comes, I lift my head and I see in front of me two fishermen in a really hectic and excited state.
I come closer and a beautiful manta is lying on the shore.
I’ve never seen such an incredible sea animal if not in an Aquarius.
Her skin was matt and solid like a shark, her eyes small and sharp, and on her belly some scary prehistoric gills where still expanding and contracting on the sand.
Wow.
I was so thrilled that I didn’t say a word to them, and I kept walking with my eyes shining wide open.
My feet were fast, well grounded and confident on the sand now.
I keep walking, looking the horizon with my heart full of power and trust.
You maybe don’t believe me but in front of me, on this solitary massive beach, A small shiny red trimaran is mooring few hundreds meters from me.
That is my boat.
You can imagine my joy at that point, I run fast to that red thing, and a solitary man is sitting there.
Breathless I tell him everything about my project, about Norman, the worldwide expedition and the poem.
He patiently let me finish while in his eyes come tears.
He tells me that after He split up with his wife, He found out He has an injury to the optic nerve which will make him blind.
At that moment, He said to himself, I'm going to see everything I can of the world before I go blind.
At the age of 59, since already two years, He is sailing the ocean, alone, in the open sea with that small trimaran, without sponsors, or supports.
Yesterday, after more than one year from that day, I was notified from the Canada Short film festival that “All the way” received an Excellence Award.
But why I told you all this story?
Because from my heart I want to tell you,
Never Give up.
Never Give up.
Never Give up.
Life is too short to have fear, life is too short to have sorrow.
This award for many people is nothing, for me is saying “ Go, girl, Go!”
Is like those stars that were over my head that night, is like that manta on the beach, is Norman, is Rick, is Me.
Is the Universe that talks.
My friend, I tell you with my eyes wet.
Never give up.
Go all the way.
All the way.
If you want to know more about Norman:
http://en.o5swim.ca/
of Rick here his youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywfSnCoe25aHKOB4xWpPEw
Thank you again.