First Swims
Analogue film
First Swims captures the visceral experience of entering the ocean, from the awkwardness and fear to the gradual transformation as the body learns to trust the water. The series draws on my time volunteering with a snorkelling programme and collaborating with Grow Aitutaki in the Pacific Islands, where children learn to swim before becoming coral gardeners. It also reflects my own journey as a diver and a mother, observing my daughters gain confidence beneath the surface. First Swims is a meditation on adaptation and belonging, a reminder that we all begin in water and spend our lives remembering how to return to it.
