Ross Cairns interview
HUCK: Before Lives of the Artists, what other projects were you involved in?
Ross Cairns: I directed a documentary about three remarkable guys pioneering big waves on the west coast of Ireland called Powers of Three. The intention was absolutely not to make an action based surf film as that's the last thing the world needs, but instead to tell a story about three guys in an amazing environment, meeting and overcoming huge challenges.
How did you choose the people to focus on in Lives of the Artists?
The film is focused on telling the stories of those people that can be considered to be artists in so far as there is genuine artistry in what they do. Their motivations are pure. By this I mean an uncommon level of obsession crashing up against a pioneering spirit, integrity, talent and a refusal to compromise. Xavier De Le Rue was totally right for the film because of his outlook; he's smart, articulate and insightful.
We scratched the surface of what Tom Lowe, Fergal Smith and Mickey Smith are motivated by in Powers of Three and that story needed to be completed. The tackling of Teahupoo in Tahiti had been on the agenda for some time and the opportunity arose so we went for it and the guys and the wave didn't disappoint.
Gallows are the embodiment of the attitude I wanted to convey in the film. They don't hold back one bit. They are angry, driven and opinionated but with the talent and intelligence to back it all up. Frank Carter in particular, as this accidental icon for the disaffected, is totally surprising. It's so easy to dismiss him as all front but the reality is far from it. I've made the comparison before, but for me, a man like Frank with all the vision and carnal violence is in attitude not dissimilar to what I imagine Caravaggio was like.
What location did you find most interesting while making the film?
Some of the shooting from helicopters in Greenland had its moments and left everyone kissing the ground afterwards but you do what you have to get the shots. It's an amazing environment - a powerful, soulful place.
Tahiti was a trip of two halves. We had the best of it and a slightly darker side. We were fortunate to have two amazing days of 12 foot swell, pretty much to ourselves and a few locals. Then word spread, the planes started arriving full of pros and egos and it all got a bit much. Tom ended up dislocating his arm which was apparently not half as painful as having Laird Hamilton trying to manipulate it back into position. However, there's no getting away from how special the island and the people who looked after us are. Needless to say, the wave totally lives up to its reputation; when it's working, it's awe inspiring.
The US was much more familiar territory but driving through the night on a tour bus in the mid-west, being chased by a tornado for about ten miles in the most incredible thunder storm that lit up the sky beyond anything I'd seen before, hoping it didn't cut across the freeway and flip us over was an experience. And then there was the circle pit in Chicago - not for the faint of heart.
What was the hardest part about making the film?
There were incredible technical challenges. Shooting film, from a small boat or jet skis in variable weather, when the sets don't wait until you've got a loaded and ready camera is frustrating. Filming in conditions on mountain tops so cold and exposed that batteries last 30 seconds doesn't make it easy nor is getting positions on steep faces to film from. Filming in 100 degrees in a circle pit and getting knocked over while carrying a film camera wasn't a highlight. But that's just what comes with the territory. The genuinely hard part was being away from family on location for months. I've got three young kids and an incredibly understanding wife to whom I owe a huge debt.
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