How Kiwi Director Chris Clark Finds the Ocean Between the Waves
Film Construction director Chris Clark, long-renowned for his work in TVCs, was recently recognised as the Kiwi Filmmaker of the Year at the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival. His emotional short film ‘Wai Is The Yang’ explores the mental health benefits of surfing.
Chris’ award-winning film has sparked discussions worldwide for its robust exploration of surfing's impact on mental wellbeing and community.
Delving into the therapeutic power of the ocean with LBB, Clark discusses his unique approach to blending storytelling, visual aesthetics, and personal experiences to create impactful narratives.
LBB> Congratulations on being named Kiwi Filmmaker of the Year at the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival! Can you share how it feels to receive this prestigious recognition for your work in surfing Filmmaking?
Chris> Thanks! Anyone receiving an award for any collaborative art form is really just a tiny part of a massive equation. The award is for anyone who touched the film in any way, and to be honest, for the film itself.
While I was privileged enough to push it into motion and be part of the wonderful ride it provided, the film really had a life and will of its own. I believe artworks can have a soul of their own in some regard. Surfing Filmmaking? Not sure there’s a distinction for me in any of the directions I’ve done: Surf films, Commercials, Visual Effects, Real-People driven, or Comedy… It always comes down to the story. Where’s the heart? And how is the visual style going to emphasise all that?
LBB> "Wai Is The Yang" has garnered attention for exploring the mental health benefits of surfing. What inspired you to delve into this aspect of the sport, and what message were you hoping to convey to audiences through the film?
Chris> I’ve had a lifelong journey with anxiety, which has evolved into depression. The weird privilege of walking a mental long health road is that it enables you to develop a really robust “toolkit” to rely on when you can feel a heavier time rolling in. With the ocean being one of the most powerful elements I rely on, I wanted our film to capture how water and the community that gathers at its edge can have an extremely positive power: to heal, strengthen, and sew hope. In that regard, it’s kind of an anti-surf sports film. It’s more of a surf-as-therapy film.
LBB> The film has been described as transcending its genre to become both a surf film and a mental health narrative. Can you elaborate on how you approached blending these two themes and what challenges you encountered?
Chris> I knew I was making a film based at the West End Wiggle Surf Festival which would take place in winter. Those were the foundations the concept formed itself on, because surfing through winter is a different proposition to the majority of carefree sunshine-soaked surf imagery we see. In winter, you put on layers of amour to head into the water. I felt that this thematically vibed with something a little more weighty and heavy. When these elements aligned it was one of those rare occasions when the film arrived immediately fully formed in the mind. It was straight from the heart and felt like its own entity with something to say. From there it was time to get practical about storytelling: to find the balance of people's stories and surfing imagery.
I decided I would only show my characters surfing, no one else. I wouldn’t delve too deeply into each story, just allow enough to paint a picture and rely on the shared themes of the eight stories to create a singular narrative.
LBB> Surfing is often seen as a form of meditation or therapy. How do you believe surfing contributes to mental well-being, and how did you capture this aspect in "Wai Is The Yang"?
Chris> Surfing places you in the present. There’s nothing else which is the aim of any meditative exercise. Depression from events of the past or anxiety for the future slips away. I knew to capture this, we would need a sense of tension and release. A movement from darkness into light. Relying on the stories of our characters to form the emotional through-line of our film, I charted my intended narrative along a kind of sine wave: starting with the euphoria surfing can bring, then plummeting into the wintery depths of people’s heavy stories, then using the strength and heart of community to boost us back up into the light. It was all about finding the right stories and people.
LBB> As a TVC director, how does your passion for surfing influence your work in the advertising industry, and vice versa?
Chris> Surfing is less about the waves you ride than about a connection to the ocean. And the ocean is such a strong ancient metaphor, so there’s always an analogy to be made! Here’s one about the commercial pitching process: as a director, you have the skillset you’ve acquired. As a water person, you have the same. You observe swell direction, tide, wind, and sandbanks, and put yourself in the best possible position.
From there, a job comes in, a set rolls in and as prepped and ready as you are, at that moment, little is up to you really.
LBB> "Wai Is The Yang" has sparked meaningful discussions about the ocean, community, and mental health. How do you hope these conversations will continue to evolve, and what impact do you envision the film having on raising awareness about mental health issues within the surfing community and beyond?
Chris> I just love hearing about what people are going through in life. In a parallel universe, I’m probably some kind of therapist. I guess I’d just love these conversations to continue. Like this one, for example. An industry interview talking openly and extensively about mental health. It’s incredible! It's healing and empowering when people talk about what they’re going through or see a similar story. The greatest impact the film could have would be to play a part in the ongoing awareness that everyone has a story. Everyone.
LBB> Could you share some insights into the creative process behind "Wai Is The Yang," particularly in visual storytelling and capturing the emotional essence of surfing?
Chris> Due to the surf conditions during the West End Wiggle surf festival, we didn’t actually walk away with a tremendous amount of surfing footage. So, I had to find a creative answer to this problem. I was listening a lot to Kendrick’s new album then and have always loved how he uses a central device that he repeats and reveals throughout an album by reusing samples and expanding them as the album progresses.
This gave me the confidence to use the central metaphor of the spinning horizon as stitching to hold the narrative together, and to provide a tonal visual of where our story is emotionally.
LBB> Your film has resonated deeply with audiences, evoking a visceral response. What elements of storytelling and filmmaking do you believe contributed most to this emotional connection with viewers?
Chris> The emotional connection definitely comes from our characters and their powerful stories. While the visual director side of me would like to think the overt muscular style I adopted for the opening barrage of the film has a good part to play, the characters and their immediate vulnerability grab audiences and connect on a deep emotional level.
Visually and emotionally, I wanted the film to immediately throw down a gauntlet that said, “You’ve never seen a film like this before”. Yeah, it’s surfing, but it’s people and lives being turned upside down.
LBB> Looking ahead, what future projects or themes are you excited to explore in your filmmaking career, and how do you plan to continue pushing boundaries and challenging perceptions through your work?
Chris> First of all, I’m excited to continue using my creativity as a strong medicine in my mental health journey. Beyond that, I want to keep playing and pushing in all aspects of directing. For example, I want to change it up completely in my next film. In every film festival I’ve ever been to, my films are always serious, “heart on their sleeve” films. I’m keen to lean into comedic territory this time, which I’ve loved playing with commercial work.
I guess I only want to make another film if it can be better than the last one, unlike anything I’ve seen or made before. If I invest the time and energy required to make a film, it must be a risk. It has to make me grow personally and creatively and needs to be an epic adventure! Yes, a physical adventure out there as I’m making it, but mainly a creative adventure that ventures into uncharted lands. So I’m diving into our relationships to myths and I appear to be writing a mythic surf comedy.
