"HELL OR HIGH SEAS" — A BEAUTIFUL LOOK INTO A DEEP, DEEP WORLD
“Hell or High Seas” by a documentary by Philadelphia filmmaker Glenn Holsten is achingly beautiful and done with great respect and love for the power of the sea.
This is a beautifully shot film which makes you feel a deep, deep, deep respect for the sea.
Holsten invites us into the world of Taylor Grieger, a former military rescue swimmer which he shares with his friends Stephen O’Shea, John Rose, and Kell Warner. Their shared lust for adventure (I suppose) is what drew them into the sea and to set sail from the Florida Gulf Coast to the tip of South America, to explore the legendary and formidable Cape Horn.
This adventure isn’t designed for the weak of body, mind, or spirit. The expedition clocks in at 10,000 nautical miles and is undertaken to help Grieger cope with his own post-deployment PTSD. There are staggering facts to anchor this story like the unbelievable (and, may I add, unacceptable) suicide rate that returning military veterans suffer.
Grieger is very much a member of the human race and therefore someone we can easily understand and have empathy for, plus he’s charismatic and still believes despite his trauma.
Kudos to director Holsten who wisely keeps the focus squarely on our protagonist as he undergoes his emotional and physical journey. His life isn’t easy. His life wasn’t easy. His life won’t be easy, either because he confesses without fanfare that he’s in a lot of “pain.”
The footage is arresting, beautiful, and haunting, as is the story that accompanies these visuals.
You don’t have to live your life with courage. It’s your life and it’s your choice but I don’t think I’m the only one that is happy that Taylor Grieger is choosing life.
“Hell or High Seas” by Glenn Holsten is now available on Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube, and other streaming platforms
I rarely add a directors statement to reviews but here, I feel, it’s needed
“I have made two feature-length films about mental illness in collaboration with people who suffer from various conditions: OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar Asperger’s Movie, and Hollywood Beauty Salon. In addition, I direct a series of short films for a website that promotes mental health and tells impactful stories of recovery: OC87 Recovery Diaries. I find the world of mental health wonderfully suited for film storytelling – the layers of visual and audio are particularly exciting to explore to recreate the lived experience of someone going through a mental health journey. I also enjoy creating hybrid documentary experiences that fuse formats to create a unique experience for audiences. Hell or High Seas is part doc, part animation, part video diary. Amazing visuals, powerful personal narrative. Just so full of good elements that add up to a great film! I have witnessed the power of these kinds of honest, oftentimes painful, but ultimately positive stories of recovery when they are shared with audiences.” — “Hell or High Seas” by Glenn Holsten.
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