Short film release: Floe State of Mind

26th February, 2019

Floe State of Mind follows cold water swimmer Gilly McArthur as she takes an axe to an icy tarn and breaks a channel for a solitary swim. 

“It wasn’t really planned,” said Gilly, “and that’s really how the best days come about!”

The footage was shot in January when she was ice swimming daily to fundraise for Mind, the mental health charity. Filmmaker Ben Gerrish and drone pilot Pete Archer were filming in the Lake District, where Gilly lives, when they gave her a call and went in search of ice.

Although just a few minutes long, the film captures a sense of all that outdoor swimming can bring.

“I absolutely love being outside surrounded by nature,” said Gilly. “The cold water brings an extra element to my experience of ‘being’ outdoors – it literally supercharges me to think more clearly, be calmer, happier and makes me a better person all round. It’s a journey into the mind body connection on a daily basis that I would recommend to anyone.”

Cold water swimming offers many benefits but does come with additional safety considerations: read OSS tips and expert advice here.

With over £3,000 raised already, Gilly has decided to continue ice swimming and to keep her Just Giving page open “until all the ice spots have gone” (see Gilly’s Instagram bio for the link). Find her (and her Just Giving campaign for Mind) on Instagram – @gillymcarthur 

Floe State of Mind can be viewed here:

https://www.sidetracked.com/fieldjournal/floe-state-of-mind/

Liz Lowe

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