Posted on 02/01/2017 5:32:01 PM PST by Third Person
Our objective in making this film was something of a psychology experiment: We sought to capture people facing a difficult situation, to make a portrait of humans in doubt. Weve all seen actors playing doubt in fiction films, but we have few true images of the feeling in documentaries. To make them, we decided to put people in a situation powerful enough not to need any classic narrative framework. A high dive seemed like the perfect scenario.
Through an online advertisement, we found 67 people who had never been on a 10-meter (about 33 feet) diving tower before, and had never jumped from that high. We paid each of them the equivalent of about $30 to participate which meant climbing up to the diving board and walking to its edge. We were as interested in the people who decided to climb back down as the ones jumping.
We filmed it all with six cameras and several microphones. It was important for us not to conceal the fact that this was an arranged situation, and thus we chose to show the microphones within the frame. Ultimately, about 70 percent of those who climbed did jump. We noticed that the presence of the camera as well as the social pressure (from those awaiting their turn beside the pool) pushed some of the participants to jump, which made their behavior even more interesting.
In our films, which we often call studies, we want to portray human behavior, rather than tell our own stories about it. We hope the result is a series of meaningful references, in the form of moving images. Ten Meter Tower may take place in Sweden, but we think it elucidates something essentially human, that transcends culture and origins. Overcoming our most cautious impulses with bravery unites all humankind. Its something that has shaped us through the ages.
I jumped off a number of towers and rappelled from helicopters in the Marine Corps. Absolutely not now. I do not care for heights but for some reason I had no problem with in while in service.
Who can forget Louganis hitting his head on the platform in 79?
Check this out if you like heights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMHjDqHL_Y
Here’s a job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1D7znR7Zk4
My friend flying a helicopter. He is a former Marine too. Oddly, the Corps was not interested in him flying:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMh4kGFSj-c
I jumped about 75 feet into a quarry at a place called Lost Lakes near San Bernardino 35 years ago, and dove 37 feet into the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. Today the 3 meter board is my limit.
How high was that fake ship side that we had to jump off of in boot for water survival training? It wasn't ten meters, but it was up there.
I used to skydive and did the whole rapelling thing, no more for me, either.
WOW. Thanks for the links.
Not my picture.
That looks pretty high. I just remember going so far underwater that I was out of air by the time I surfaced. I also remember that it was important to keep your feet together.
That looks pretty high. I just remember going so far underwater that I was out of air by the time I surfaced. I also remember that it was important to keep your feet together.
But with age comes wisdom!
I learned that “OK” is a somewhat universal expression.
I was advised to point my toes and let my legs bend. Stopped fairly quick. Did it once and had a 6 pack of Stegmaier. That falls used to freeze over. Bright blue ice.
Ain't that the whole truth and nothing but the truth. lol
Nowadays I bang my knee gettin' in the car and it hurts for a month.
Where did they find these people?
You remind me of me, except that I was in the Army. No sir, no more repels for this old fat ass.
I wonder if you can get a wedgie from this.
Huh? What does that mean? Did they pay them in Pesos or something?
It was filmed in Sweden, so they probably paid them the equivalent of $30 USD in Kroner or Euros or whatever they use now.
That was great, thanks for the post!
I am a former swimmer / diver and have done platform and cliff diving (age 17-21 about), much higher, 20-30 meters, but the water was so deep that you could not see the bottom — abandoned Missouri stone quarries — which ironically helps some to not make it seem so high.
At pools with clear water 10 meters really seems like 15 meters into a hard looking pool floor. It definitely seems higher than it is to the water.
It has been years, but I could still get the fluttery feeling thinking about it watching this fun video.
It was the same thing as this movie at the great place we cliff dove from, especially at the really high cliffs with groups of mixed older high school and college people. People thought a lot about it before jumping. It was like serious golfers trying to decide how to hit a difficult lie in the rough. You wait patiently while they pick their club. Sometimes they just chip out to the fairway. It was no shame to climb back down sometimes.
It was interesting that even people who had dove many times before, would have bad days where they would climb up and could not dive or could not do a certain more risky dive on certain particular days when it just felt bad.
And I love the comment above by “stayathomemom” about “OK” being a universal word now! Great observation! The subtitles make this all the more fun and exotic, especially with that “OK” word thrown emphatically into the mix. Americanisms!
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