Women & the Wind
My timing is terrible. I’ve known about this project for a while. It’s now been out for a month. I’ve seen it twice. But only now, when it’s just available at selected screenings is when I decide to write about it.
Women & the Wind is a thought-provoking voyage of discovery as three women sail from North America to Europe in 30 days, following the plastic pollution on a renovated catamaran. It’s a story of adventure and reconnecting with nature.
The three women are Alizé Jireh, director and cinematographer, Kiana Weltzien, captain and frequent solo sailor, and Lærke Heilmann, first mate and ocean conservationist. With a run time of 1 hour 30, it’s a sharp, poignant and well edited account of their perspective on life, each other, and nature – and it might just be one of my favourite films of the year.
The drive behind this project is to film and share our impact on the ocean. From the start of their journey, they pick up plastic bottles, milk cartons, wrappers – common household objects that take decades to disintegrate in the ocean and become toxic food for animals. When they can’t physically grab the floating items they see, they document it all. The tallies are shown at the end.
There’s a natural rhythm to the film, in the hypnotic nature of filming at sea, and in the narrative. Once they’ve sailed far enough to lose sight of the land, the plastic becomes a secondary character to the ocean. We move from images of rubbish strewn waters to the vast and relentless wind and waves striking the catamaran. The film is a well-executed reminder of the sheer and unrelenting power of nature, and that even in most remote locations, in the middle of their odyssey, our impact is ever present.
It's all captured by Alizé Jireh’s phenomenal cinematography – I could just watch her work for hours on end. Every shot is visceral, and whatever camera she’s using is superb. Several times I found myself in awe of her compositions. There isn’t any additional lighting, or set up involved, Jireh can only work with what nature gives her, and what lights her crewmates are wearing. I love her style, and hopefully I’ll be able to buy this film so I can watch it on repeat.
I think that as well as serving as a reminder that we must be mindful of our impact, this film shows nature as the almighty power. These women are incredibly skilled at what they do. Kiana Weltzien and Lærke Heilmann are formidable, they have the physical endurance, fortitude and strength to sail – and make it look almost effortless. But, there are so many moments it could all have gone horribly wrong. The catamaran is beaten and battered, sails torn, and objects broken. We need to respect that nature doesn’t have an agenda, we’re just in danger of getting in its way.
What the film does most brilliantly is balance the heaviest of subjects with the charm, laughter and love shared by these women. Each tells her story, and we learn what drives them through conversations, direct to camera moments, voiceover narration – all accompanied with well-chosen music to perfectly capture the vibe.
Exploring the subjects of life and our relationship with nature, it could easily stray into the pretentious, instead it tells a story of reflection, how it feels to be so far from land, what life means to them with total disconnection. Remaining poignant, poetic, and honest.
Though the time has now passed to watch the film online, I think it will go much further. We need the mastery of stories like these to remind us that we’re saving the planet as much as we’re saving ourselves.
You can find out more on their site, including any upcoming screenings near you or how to organise one, more information about the project, and the option to give a donation: https://www.womenandthewind.com