Archer’s Mark Director Ian Derry Wins Gold at Kinsale for 'Johanna'

Ian Derry’s Johanna has won a Gold award at the Kinsale Sharks for Best Documentary Short Film. Derry is an experienced stills photographer turned film director represented by Archer’s Mark in London. He is known for his exquisite eye and collaborative style of working. His debut short Johanna - a stunning portrait of an Arctic free diver - almost crashed the internet when it landed on Nowness, quickly racking up thousands of views and earning itself a Vimeo Staff Pick. 

Finnish freediver Johanna Nordblad holds the world record for a 50-metre dive under ice. She discovered her love for the sport through cold-water treatment while recovering from a downhill biking accident that almost took her leg. The director captures her taking a plunge under the Arctic ice. The film was shot in the wilderness of Finland at temperatures of minus 14 degrees.

Derry says, “I became aware of Johanna from her sister who is a photographer. I liked her story—to have such a terrible injury and to overcome it in the most extreme way. Once I had met her and gone to the location, which at that point was -24C, I knew I had to make the film. The environment and the silence there is something I will never forget. I dived under the ice to get a perspective on it and it was literally breath taking. What she does is so close to the edge, but she does it in such a comfortable way.”

Derry has recently shot work for Versace, Hugo Boss and more recently a campaign for FitBit through FCB London.