CHASING THE SUBLIME

A mesmeric look at the physicality of cold water swimming by award winning director Amanda Bluglass

Chasing the Sublime is a mesmeric look at why adventurers adventure, and swimmers swim. Shot in Loch Hourn, Scotland, in 2018, the film documents the swimming adventures of Kate Rew and Kari Furre of the Outdoor Swimming Society.

Why do we put ourselves into the path of discomfort and risk? What drives us to get too cold and too tired, to battle with fear, in the name of adventure?

Loch Hourn on the Knoydart peninsula in the Western Isles of Scotland is regarded as one of the last wildernesses of Europe. Access to sea lochs is difficult. Salt water mingles with fresh water as it runs off the mountains, icy even in high summer. This mesmeric film immerses us in the physicality of cold water swimming, asking why does the search for adventure take us to ever more remote and inhospitable places? Why are the hardships of swimming so inextricably linked with it’s highs and appeal? Join the originators of The Outdoor Swimming Society, ‘swim twins’ Kate Rew and Kari Furre, as they set out to chase the sublime.

“Among all the great feedback for this short film, the pinnacle moment for me was our literal 6 minutes of fame on Sunday 2nd March, when Chasing The Sublime was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday,” says OSS Founder Kate Rew who wrote the narratives and swims in the film. ‘The film was chosen for Oprah’s ‘inspirational women’ slot and aired to 8 million viewers. Does it get much more validating than that? Go forth, little film, and create more swimmers…..”.

Upcoming events featuring the full length film:

  • SHAFF: Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, March 22- 24th. Details and tickets.
  • Four Seasons Film Festival, Thursday 21st March. Four Seasons Film Festival is a boutique independent day film festival held by the BFI Film Forever in London in March. Tickets.
  • DocLands, California Film Institute, San Francisco, May 2nd-5th, 2019. Details.
  • Buxton Adventure Festival, Tuesday 4th June. Kate Rew being interviewed by Natasha Brooks about what makes a good adventure, at a screening of Chasing The Sublime. Tickets.

 

  • Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, on Interntaional Women’s Day, 8th March. Details
  • Underwater Series for Down the Shaft Film Club, 7th and 21st March 2019. Details.
  • The film premiered at Kendal Mountain Film Festival in November 2018.

Sponsored by The Outdoor Swimming Society in association with Alpkit, with Red Moon Cruises, Akur Capital, Dryrobe and Aquatica Digital