The Vortex - March 2025: SALT: 'How Surfing & The Atlantic Helped Save My Life' - Alice Ward's Award-Winning Film
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Monday, March 31
When Alice Ward was born and not exactly thriving as expected, her mother Mary McLoughlin noticed her skin was very salty. It was the first hint that the baby had cystic fibrosis.
Almost three decades on, Alice tells her story in "Salt", an award-winning short film made by Ward herself. Now 29, she turns her lens on her diagnosis, her relationship with the Atlantic ocean and the positive impact it has had on her health.
Originally from Dublin, Ward, a BSc graduate in multimedia from Dublin City University, says this of what motivated "Salt":
“I want to demonstrate to individuals grappling with serious illnesses that their conditions need not always dictate their lives, that they possess capabilities beyond their doctor’s prognoses, I aim to illustrate the positive impact that immersing myself in the ocean has had on my health. I surf and swim with my camera all year around, embracing the harsh Irish winters and cold water. It has made me tough and resilient, both mentally and physically. The ocean has become one of my most important medicines.”
Watch the trailer:
Read More About It:
Salt: Alice Ward’s Story - SurfGirl Magazine
Salt a powerful film, premiered as part of the London Surf Film Festival. Take a look.
James Wilkinson
Screening and Q&A: ‘SALT’ directed by Alice Ward - 20th February 2025 | Cystic Fibrosis
Directed by Alice Ward, ‘SALT’ is a short film and an autobiographical exploration of the role that salt and the ocean has played in her life as a surf…
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In other coverage:
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