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Recollections in Atlantic Reverie

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Recollections in Atlantic Reverie
 

A spiritual exploration of the wild coastlines from Kernow to Eire by Mickey Smith and Allan Wilson // Interview by Harriet Osborne

An interview with Mickey Smith about HUNROS JORNA (Cornish for ‘dream journey’), a Cornish-language film paying tribute to the heartbeats, land, and seascapes that have given his life so much meaning.

Mickey Smith is a photographer, surfer, writer, and musician from West Cornwall. In 2010, he produced Dark Side Of The Lens with cinematographer Allan Wilson. The film became one of the most-watched surf movies in history and is still considered a benchmark for surf documentation to this day. In partnership with sustainable outdoor brand Finisterre, Mickey and Allan have joined forces again to produce HUNROS JORNA, a tribute to the salt rats and rugged coastlines that shaped who they are today.


Sidetracked: You have carved a life for yourself surrounded, inspired, and energised by the sea. Why are you so drawn to the ocean?
Mickey: I was lucky enough to grow up in Newlyn and Penzance in Cornwall. So the sea has always been a constant presence in my field of view – it feels like a sanctuary even when it’s wild. Whatever’s going on in my head or my life, jumping into the salt helps me to reset the spell.

You find yourself back in Cornwall, after 10 years chasing heavy waves in Ireland. What is it about this part of the world that keeps you coming back?
It’s my home. My family is here and my heart is here. They are both natural pulls for me. But there’s also a magical feeling in the air – I don’t quite have the words for it. But there is a genuine, tangible feeling in West Kernow that I’m sensitive to and connect with on a lot of levels.

You recently joined forces with cinematographer Allan Wilson and sustainable outdoor brand Finisterre to produce HUNROS JORNA – a tribute to the people and seascapes that have given your lives so much meaning. How did this film come about?
Wilbot and I have been living and working together for over 15 years. He’s like a brother in a lot of ways and working with him has always been a blessing. He is a humble genius – I think of him as one of the all-time best eyes in the salt of the camera. We’ve been talking about making a film like this since we finished Dark Side Of The Lens 12 years ago. Then, in 2021, Tom Kay and Matt Smith from Finisterre – both guys I’ve known and respected a long time – said they’d love to support us in making the film. That helped us to get the focus to say ‘All right, let’s do it’.

 
 

What happened next? Can you talk me through the process and what you discovered?
We started looking at what we had both shot over time. It ended up becoming a deep dive through the past, and the process began to spark words for me. I realised that a lot of the events in my life have happened because of the spirit of the kids I grew up with and the heartbeat of the coast itself – and it’s the same with our experiences in Ireland. There’s magic in the air on both of these coastlines, and we wanted to try and do justice to that as best we could.

During the film, you reference salt rats and stray kids. Who are you referring to here and why does this community mean so much to you?
The salt rats are the kids I grew up with. We were a wonky bunch of weirdos who didn’t particularly fit in anywhere. Being a kid was tough. The sea was the thread that bound all of us together – it gave us purpose and focus. Those guys shaped so much of my identity and worldview. Growing up we never had much, but getting hold of the salt was all we needed. We did whatever we could to get in the water.

The script is so rich and poetic. How would you describe the process for getting these words on the page?
A lot of the work starts in my notebook, which I carry with me everywhere. I’m not a great sleeper so my mind is always busy, rushing from place to place internally. Writing is a way of alleviating that a lot of the time. Having a notebook ready is handy when ideas come along. Even if it’s just a word that I like the sound of, I make sure to acknowledge it and write it down. Occasionally writing can become like dreaming, and things can take shape very naturally. But a lot of the time, I have to work on particular words or sentences until they feel right. I’ll sometimes spend a week on one line, and it might still end up being thrown away for no rhyme or reason. It’s just part of the process.

 
Recollections in Atlantic Reverie
 

You are rarely without a camera in your hand. Where does your passion stem from? What do you think about when you look through the lens?
It’s pretty simple for me. I just feel happy. I’m a natural observer, so I like to be on the periphery. It’s just my way of expressing things. Out in the water is a magical, otherworldly environment to be in. When I’m out there I try not to think about anything (other than film stock, shutter, and aperture) and to get lost in positioning myself wherever I feel drawn to in the water, making sure I’m alert and ready when something special happens. That’s what I really love about photography – it takes me out of my head. The technicalities are the only things I try to be aware of and the rest is instinctive.

HUNROS JORNA is a Cornish-language film, spoken beautifully by artist Gwenno Saunders. How would you describe your connection with Kernowek and why does it mean so much to you?
I grew up with a sense of the Cornish language through my nan and the place names here. It feels like a language that’s completely in tune with the feeling contained in the land and on the coast. Languages are one of the foundations of our ability to communicate, assert ourselves and our experiences out in the world. Languages are also key for learning and growing through stories of our own and other people. Kernowek is something to be treasured – for everyone to enjoy, not just Cornish people. I love the sounds and the heart contained in it. It’s ancient, poetic, and feels like it’s come from the very bones of this mystical place. Gwenno did such an incredible and sensitive job translating from my words. Listening to them back sparked pure joy for me. It was an amazing feeling.

 
Recollections in Atlantic Reverie
 

Your first film, Dark Side Of The Lens, has become one of the most-watched surf movies in history and it’s still considered a benchmark for surf documentation. How does that make you feel to know your work has made such an impact?
Back then, we never imagined Dark Side travelling and resonating as far as it did. We were just speaking from our hearts. The only way we’ve been able to gauge positive impact is through the heartfelt messages that people have sent us over the years. When you make something that’s so personal from an open-hearted place, and then you release it to the cosmos, you never know how it will be received. So you have to be centred with it and not look for approval outside of your own. That’s how we felt when we made this film. To have so many humans in far corners of the world communicate that it resonated with them was unexpected and really mind-blowing.

What are you hoping to achieve with your photography, film, and music? What do you want to be known or remembered for?
I want to be known for speaking from the heart, whether that’s through music, words, photography, or film. I’m not really aiming for any kind of legacy. I just want to stay true to the things I love as best I can. I’d love for kids from these places, especially with this film, to see it, hear the language and feel a connection. I’d love for them to see we’re just normal people who went out into the wild and had some incredible experiences – anyone can do that. Even if you don’t have the means. There’s no boundary to be able to connect with nature.

It’s never lost on you how lucky you feel to live by the sea. What are some of the lessons the wild storms and heavy waves have taught you?
Every new storm or wave feels like an opportunity to reflect and learn. A lot of the most important things I’ve learned have been reinforced out in the sea. The sea helps you to centre yourself no matter what is going on. It helps you to care for others, get out of your head, seek different perspectives, learn not to panic, to breathe through feelings, and find out how resilient you can really be. And also to laugh when things are really intense. Thank you, old mother sea.


For more details, visit finisterre.com/hunros-jorna
A film by Mickey Smith // @mickeysmithetc
Supported by Finisterre // @finisterre
Written by Harriet Osborne // @harrietosborne

 

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