MER is a collaborative project that celebrates South African women and their integral role in the preservation and sustainability of the ecosystem, specifically through their spiritual and physical relationship with water. This body of work, produced in partnership with Pichulik, combines storytelling with evocative imagery to highlight the connections between women, water, and generational wisdom.
Through MER, we will capture the essence of seven women whose lives are intertwined with the ocean. This includes women like Traci Kwaai, a fisher-child from Kalk Bay who has reclaimed her relationship with the sea through free diving, as well as others who bring rich personal narratives to the forefront. These women serve as custodians of both the environment and cultural knowledge, making them pivotal figures in the ongoing conversation about ecological preservation and community leadership.
Our project will feature portraits and film, captured with analogue photography and cassette tape footage, creating a timeless, whimsical aesthetic that deepens the storytelling experience. Each woman will be photographed in natural environments, particularly in water, symbolizing their connection to the life-giving forces of nature. The visual narrative will be interwoven with intimate conversations between the women and the ocean, reflecting their personal relationship with it as a metaphor for self-love and collective care.
Through the lens of water, MER reflects the deep interconnection of life itself, weaving together the stories of seven remarkable women whose lives are inextricably linked to the ocean.
The core of the film centers on two questions posed by designer Pichulik: What is your relationship with the ocean? and What message would you give to the ocean if it were yourself? These questions are a gateway to self-reflection, where each woman’s response becomes a love letter to the ocean—ultimately, a love letter to herself.
A collaboration between us, Mikhailia and Ben, we are filming the project to capture fleeting moments that reflect the universe’s deeper truths. Water, as the essence of life, is not just a physical entity in MER; it is a metaphor for interconnectedness, love, and spiritual sustenance. Through analogue photography and film, we aim to create an experience that immerses the viewer in these women’s stories, as well as their relationships with the natural world.
As we film together, we embrace the idea of the universe revealing itself in glimpses, in those moments when light shines through. Water, as the essence of life, represents this interconnectedness—its currents reflecting the flow of life, linking the physical with the spiritual. This project captures that sense of oneness, showing how everything in the universe is connected, just as the ocean connects these women to each other and to the earth.
Shot on analogue photography and film, MER is designed to evoke a timeless, immersive experience. Our goal is to envelop the audience in these women’s stories, capturing both their natural environments and moments of vulnerability in the water. We want viewers to feel the flow of these women’s lives as part of something larger, something universal.
By grounding MER in folklore and ancestral stories, we invite the audience to experience water as more than a natural element. It becomes a spiritual force that connects generations, preserves culture, and speaks to the universal truths that bind us all.