#PodcastersForJustice

Award-winning documentarian, Mimi deGruy, joined me and author Adam Skolnick for a deep dive into the genesis of her documentary exploring the legacy and environmental activism of her late husband, trailblazing ocean filmmaker Mike deGruy.

“When Mike died, I felt like he left in mid-conversation, and I knew that he had so much more to say,” – Mimi deGruy

Mike deGruy was a lauded filmmaker, biologist, and activist, who pushed the boundaries of cinematography and diving technology to explore never-before-seen ocean life and share it with the world.

"In 2012, deGruy died tragically at age 60 in a helicopter crash in Australia while filming for [Academy Award® winning] director James Cameron." – KCRW

The documentary, “Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy” was crowd-funded, directed, produced, and written by Mimi, Mike’s widow and filmmaking partner.

"Told through the eyes of his wife ... the film celebrates [Mike’s] life, career, and what he passionately believed: we are destroying the ocean before we even know what’s there."

The Hollywood Reporter said about the film: “It [succeeds] as a touching personal reminiscence and as an understated but effective environmental manifesto.”

The film opened the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2019, and won Best Film at the Ocean Film Festival, Audience Favorite at the Aspen Mountain Film Festival, and many other awards. It is available across all platforms including Apple TV/iTunes and Amazon rentals.

Adam Skolnick is the award-winning journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, travel, and human rights for The New York Times and other outlets. He is the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, the ghostwriter and narrator of David Goggins’ smash hit memoir and audiobook Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, and he is a co-host on the Rich Roll Podcast.

As a bonus, Adam and I kick off the show by discussing the legacy of Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Stay calm and write on ...

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Preview a sample of a podcast at the break from this week's sponsor Look Closer: The Found Fiction Podcast, more at foundfiction.org.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please "Follow" us to automatically see new interviews. In this file Mimi deGruy, Adam Skolnick, and I also discussed:

• Why friends and family described Mike as a "human exclamation mark"
• The single piece of footage that inspired Mimi to make the documentary
• How the BP oil spill cemented the filmmaker's life mission
• The fascinating arc of Mike's career
• Why his spirit was undeterred by a rare shark attack
• And more!

Show Notes:

• “Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy”
• Diving Deep on Facebook
• Diving Deep on Instagram
• Diving Deep on Twitter
• AdamSkolnick.com

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by Author David Goggins [Amazon]

One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits - by Adam Skolnick [Amazon]

How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller with Author Adam Skolnick: Part One

Adam Skolnick on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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