The Dive

 About

"Blithe dancers move fluidly in suspension-a sensational anti-gravity experience set to equally ethereal music." -Katy Kavanaugh, Programmer Screen360 Film Festival "The video was made by "painstakingly painting bright colours over live-action film footage, to create a new type of animation that resembles a dream state." - Peter Howell, Toronto Star "Dreamy, hypnotic." - Jean Schiffman, San Francisco Arts Monthly

Buy a Dive T-shirt

"The Dive" is an impressionistic music video exploring love, loss, and transcendence into the afterlife. Hand painted frame-by-frame from live-action video, "The Dive" brings to life the haunting sounds of San Francisco breaks duo Momu. Released on Loöq Records and on Nick Warren's new Global Underground mix.

Momu is a power tag-team vigilante duo made up of Jondi (of internationally renowned production team Jondi & Spesh) and Mark Musselman, one of San Francisco's most acclaimed breaks DJ's. Momu's sound to date: wicked breaks, future tech sounds, breathtaking melodies, sinister FX, and devastating arrangments that wreak havoc on the dancefloor.

Showing on MTV2

Premiered at South by Southwest Film and
    Music Festival in Austin Texas

San Francisco International Film Festival

Santa Cruz Film Festival

Brainwash Film Festival

Screen 360 Film Festival

Bumbershoot Arts Festival in Seattle

Silverlake Film Festival

Los Angeles International Short Film Festival

Oakland International Film Festival

Mill Valley Film Festival

Film Arts Festival

Berkeley Video & Film Festival, Grand Festival Prize

 Back Story

Director Kia Simon's stepfather, Dan Skarry, was an avid skydiver who went up several times a week, often diving with large groups in formation.

On May 26, 2001 in Lodi, California he joined twenty-two other skydivers for such a dive. The divers leapt from the plane, then gathered in a circular formation, grasping each other's hands and feet.

As the final diver grabbed hold of his neighbors to complete the formation, Skarry convulsed and began to plummet through the sky. Several of his fellow divers immediately dropped out of formation to follow him down. His backup chute automatically engaged at 1000 feet, landing him in a grassy yard.

The yard belonged to an Emergency Medical Technician who was out doing yard work. The EMT went to work on Skarry as his friends called 911. Minutes later, a helicopter transported Skarry to the nearest hospital. He was dead on arrival.

As Kia said, "I don't know if we are given any choices in the moment of our death. But it seemed as if Dan was given a pretty good chance to stay alive. I think that maybe he decided that flying was the way to go. He went up and really never came down."

Momu was inspired by Dan Skarry's story and wrote "The Dive," about his final jump. Kia then made this music video. Her goal was to transmit the sensation of flying, the transcendence to another plane, the pain and joy of leaving, and the sadness of being the one left behind. It's a story told in very few words.

 Credits

The Band (Momu) Singer Dancers	JD Moyer Mark Musselman Alysoun Quinby Kevin Clarke Monique Jenkinson
Director Choreographer Director of Photography Cameras Producers Lighting Designers Art Director Costuming Art Department Assistant Producer Safety Coordinator Editors Painters Equipment provided by Thanks to	Kia Simon Chris Black Stephanie Morgan Kia Simon Stephanie Morgan Andrew Burchiel Eliza Laffin Chris Kramer Matt Kramer Xian Matthews Phobos & Diemos Jackie von Treskow Andrei Fon Pat McMahon Trevor Cralle Kia Simon Dan Janos Justin Adams Mitos Briones Eliza Laffin Josephine Moore Stephanie Morgan Michelle Neuringer Alysoun Quinby Kia Simon David Yun Backscatter Underwater Video The Original Steele's DTC Jen Springer Michael Knight HHM Bryan Boyce Brian Szymkowski Jonathan Crosby