Video is arguably the communication and art form that most grabs contemporary attention. It immediately immerses us in setting and situation, and it gives us a subjective virtual experience that elicits understanding, compassion, and awe.
Maxwel Hohn’s excellence in this art form has resulted in awards almost too numerous to list. His sensitive, skilled videography has brought vulnerable and inaccessible worlds to millions of viewers. His work is important:
“Film is an art form that gives the audience the perspective of the cinematographer. It allows me to take people on an immersive ride into my favourite environments in the underwater world. It’s one of the best tools for storytelling through visualization.”
Hohn grew up on the Sunshine Coast. Dive-certified in his teens, he found his passion early. With his commercial diving background, he can handle pretty much any situation that comes up on a shoot. And the challenges are many. Added to the expected issues of transportation, weather, and tides, are bubbles, water clarity, backscatter, and the unpredictable nature of marine life.
His persistence and patience have more than paid off. The accolades have been many:
“Call of the Coastal Wolves,” a gorgeous and poignant short documentary, was awarded “Best Mature/Travel Film,” “Best Canadian Film,” “Best Short,” and “Best Short Documentary Film.”
“Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration,” an intimate, delightful, and endearing look at an underappreciated natural phenomenon, has won nearly a dozen awards, including “Best Canadian Film,” “Best Underwater Cinematography,” and “Best Nature Documentary.”
Hohn’s reaction to all this attention?
“I was completely blown away by the positive response. Almost immediately after it was released my email and phone were buzzing like crazy from news crews, publicists and people expressing how much they enjoyed the film.”
Hohn hopes to travel even more extensively and to get to Antarctica one day, but he delights in some locations that are much closer to home:
“During the summer I really enjoy freshwater diving in the lakes and river canyons of Vancouver Island. I’m drawn to these locations for the unique photography they present, with tadpoles, lily pads, and schools of salmon. During the winter months diving with the stellar sea lions of Hornby Island is another favourite.”
Hohn’s nature films provide a thrilling and intimate look at wildlife living their beautiful, perilous, urgent, and vulnerable wild lives. The work is infused with reverence and respect and will serve his subjects well by revealing the fragility of their ecosystems and routines. Maybe this will help humans make better decisions at a time when we’re weary of human drama and looking for escape. A look into the less complicated challenges of the lives of wild creatures can give us a helpful perspective.
There’s a lot more to look forward to, according to Hohn:
“Since the release of my film ‘Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration,’ I have been working non-stop on some very exciting wildlife series for Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Nat Geo, History and IMAX. I can’t dive into what I’m working on due to NDAs but you will be sure to see the beautiful underwater world that British Columbia has to offer on these popular streaming platforms soon.”
Click the links below to watch the documentaries:
Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration | Call of the Coastal Wolves
