'Project Viva 3D Reef'
A truly international collaboration of filmmakers, photographers, scientists, scuba divers and ordinary members of the public, all united by a single passion to protect the world’s reefs.
“I was first drawn to the oceans by their incredible beauty,”
says filmmaker Edgar Gonzalez, owner of VIVA3DFILMS. “The thrill, the vivacity and the sheer diversity of life, so close to the surface and yet so far away.
“Every time I’m lucky enough to dive for pleasure or in the course of my Work as a filmmaker, I am struck by the enormity and complexity of nature’s least explored palette. I think anyone who has ever visited some of the world’s most famous dive spots, be it the Great Barrier reef, the Coral Triangle in South East Asia, or the Red Sea, will know what I mean when I describe the experience as a privilege.”
But, like many people around the world, Gonzalez is equally aware of the fragility of the world’s underwater ecosystems, of which coral reefs are such an important part.
“It didn’t take me long to realize that we don’t just have an artistic responsibility to protect the world’s oceans but a moral one, They are so important in an ecological, economic and social sense too, Facets which simply serve to heighten their beauty.”
Hence the birth of Project VIVA 3D REEF, a collaborative effort to find and spread solutions to the challenges and the risks posed to the world’s oceans and their coral reefs, by drawing in like-minded people, each with specific skills to bring to the initiative.
People such as Josep Loaso, one of the world’s most eminent underwater photographers. He spends a large amount of his time documenting the underwater world through his inquisitive lens.
“Josep joined us on a trip to the Red Sea last month where we Were researching and filming for this project,” says Gonzalez. “His pictures speak for themselves. Sometimes you have to remind yourself of the beauty at stake to fully appreciate the risks. The more people we can get involved the better. And the more diverse their reasons for wanting to help us the better.”
The filmmaker is currently working on the development of the global project, exploring new filming techniques such 3D and Virtual Reality and editing a mini-series of short films about the Red Sea trip to use as promotional material, encouraging more like-minded people to join.
