Earlier this month, I was commissioned by Vimeo to make a short film profiling how the Coronavirus was affecting local businesses. Naturally, I pointed the camera at my father and his life-long career as a sea urchin diver.
For almost four decades, my father has been harvesting sea urchins from the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. A day in his life can consist of anything as dramatic as dodging sharks to navigating foul weather. But when the elements align he can slip in and out of the sea effortlessly, gathering his bounty of the delicious shellfish. While this is a job cut out for a select few hardened men, he wouldn’t trade it for anything, as he considers it the ultimate office.
Editor’s Note: The film you see above is part of Vimeo’s Stories In Place, a collection of videos created by staff-picked filmmakers that chronicle small businesses as they navigate a world in flux. See more here.
