Outdoor swimming film made by Oxford Brookes student shortlisted for a national award
A film created by an Oxford Brookes University photography student about the mental health benefits of wild swimming has been shortlisted for an award.
A film created by an Oxford Brookes University photography student about the mental health benefits of wild swimming has been shortlisted for an award.
When Reuben Worlledge, 25, made the film A Good Place to Be, Wild Swimming and Mental Health, he was told by a friend about the British Mountaineering Council’s Women in Adventure Film Competition. His lecturer Danny North encouraged him to submit the piece to the competition.
Reuben who lives in Iffley, Oxford, filmed Pauline Latchem, who is deaf, in black and white relaxing in the water, as well as on the riverbank talking about her love of swimming outdoors.
He submitted the three-minute film to the competition in 2021, but Covid-19 meant the deadline for entries was extended and he forgot about it until he got an email in January 2023.
He said:“I was delighted to find I was one of six entrants to be shortlisted. I didn’t expect it because it was my first film and I didn’t know much about film or cinema.
“I wanted to film Pauline because she is an incredible woman who is in tune with herself and with her body. I was interested in her unique perspective on wild swimming, on how she experiences the water differently from those who can hear. I was keen to try and get that across to other people.”
Reuben originally embarked on a forensic science degree in Bristol, but returned to Oxford in 2018 after deciding the course wasn’t for him. He spent a year in Oxford before learning about the Oxford Brookes University BA (Hons) in photography - a course which launched in 2019 and saw its first cohort graduate in 2022.
Reuben says: “I was figuring out what it was I wanted to do and I love taking pictures. I got my first camera in 2018 but it never crossed my mind that photography was something I could study.
“The course asks you to specialise in something quite early on but is supportive of what you want to do and provides the best guidance so you can continue to photograph what you are passionate about in a professional context. By the end of the degree you have a strong portfolio of work in your area of photography. I’m not sure exactly what I’ll do when I graduate, but I would like to continue producing material on the narratives of health and wellbeing.”
Dr Grant Scott, Photography Subject Coordinator and Senior Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, said: “Our course is based on photography in the 21st Century and we teach the medium as a visual language, so it is important for our students to explore moving image and all forms of narrative in their work to remain relevant and meet the demands of the visual creative industries. Reuben’s work shows how important it is to experiment with visual communication and find themes that connect and tell important stories.”
A Good Place to Be, Wild Swimming and Mental Health can be watched on Reuben’s website and will be screened at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival in March 2023.
The BMC Women in Adventure Film Competition contest invites entrants to submit films that showcase the adventures of women who love the outdoors. The top prize in the competition is £600 with the most-watched on the Team BMC YouTube Channel scooping £300.