Ballantine’s Presents Benjamin Von Wong’s Underwater River is the fourth installment in a series of collaborations between Ballantine’s Scotch whisky and unique talent from around the world who define Ballantine’s mantra of “Stay True,” and whose stories are showcased in unique films featuring projects inspired by their personal history, talents and beliefs.
In late May, Ballantine’s, production company Archer’s Mark and "hyper-real" photographer Von Wong journeyed to Tulum, Mexico, with a team of 35 to participate in a unique, experimental underwater photographic project which launched globally today. Floating thirty meters (30m / 100ft) down in the ancient "Angelita" Cenote ‘sinkhole’ is a cloud-like layer of hydrogen sulfide which separates salt and fresh water, creating a unique visual phenomenon–an ethereal, flowing ‘underwater river’.
Inspired by this natural phenomena and wanting to celebrate his Chinese heritage, his beliefs and his deeply ingrained passion for experimentation, Von Wong set to work with Ballantine’s and agency M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment to create a single, seemingly impossible underwater image–a stunning, contemporary recreation of a fading ancient tradition, the Chinese Cormorant Fisherman.
Bringing the epic production to life involved the ever present risks that accompany any underwater shoot, but these were further exacerbated in this beautiful location thanks to the hydrogen sulfide cloud which posed an ever present threat to the crew’s safety.
Credits
Client Ballantines Agency M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment Alex Wilkinson, producer; Daniel De Freitas, account manager. Production Archer’s Mark William Williamson, director; Benjamin Von Wong, photographer; Paz Parasmand, producer; Paul Upton, production manager; Adam Booth, head of production; Steve Jamison, managing director; Dominque Duneton, local producer; Gustavo Gusgar, PA/photo assistant; Karim Hija, assistant; Robert Franklin, underwater DP; Katharina Brown, underwater assistant; Jack Stevenson, focus puller; Will Hanke, land DP; Carlos Valdez, sound recordist; Jonathan Alzak, drone operator; Richard Schmittner, diving supervisor.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More