Open Water

documentary · 2023 · National Geographic

OPEN WATER

SYNOPSIS

Three oceanographers spend six months aboard a research vessel in the Pacific. The film documents both the science and the psychological toll of isolation, shot in conditions that challenged every piece of equipment we brought.

STILLS

Open Water still 1
Open Water still 2

CREDITS

DirectorElena Vasquez
DoPMarcus Chen
EditorJames Park
ClientNational Geographic
RoleDirector of Photography

AWARDS

  • Sundance Documentary Competition — Special Jury Award
  • Cannes — FIPRESCI Documentary Prize
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Six months on a 90-foot vessel. No stable horizon. Saltwater in everything. We rigged cameras to the bow and let the ocean do the work — sometimes terrifying, always honest.