Jaimen Hudson From Sky to Sea | Dir: Leighton De Barros | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Esperance-born Jaimen Hudson left school at 17 and had a very active outdoors lifestyle when a motor cycle accident nearly took his life and left him paralysed from the armpits down.
Jaimen is passionate about the ocean, after being introduced to the beauty of being underwater at an early age by his parents who run a dive shop. In a wheelchair and with limited use of his hands, he decided to explore the ocean using a drone so that he could reconnect with nature.
With support from family and friends to get to locations, he became a global social media phenomenon – with his ‘whale and paddle boarder’ video getting 6.5 million views. Unfortunately, his physical limitations meant that he could no longer dive and being with humpback whales in the water was his dream.
Perth filmmaker Leighton De Barros and his producer wife Jodie have joined forces with Jaimen to create an inspirational documentary that captures the young quadriplegic’s recovery from the life-changing accident and his determination to fulfill his passion of returning to the water.
Jaimen seems to greet each day with inspiring gratitude. Meeting future wife Jess along the way to reaching the required fitness for the dangerous undertaking was just one of the joys, as was greeting his new-born son.
The logistics of someone with not temperature regulation, no core strength and no working diaphragm being able to dive underwater are enormous. Among the setbacks and triumphs are the marvelous images that Jaimen has captures of the pristine waters around Esperance and the spectacular ocean creatures (www.jaimen.com.au).
Jaimen Hudson: From Sky to Sea is good for your soul and screens at the WA Made Film Festival at Palace Cinema, Raine Square on closing night – Sunday 14 March. It then has a national release from 18 March.
Lezly Herbert
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