The world lost a great champion of the ocean when Santa Barbara’s renowned underwater filmmaker Mike deGruy died at age 60 in a helicopter accident in February 2012. But his infectious excitement and ever more critical message about protecting the seas is once again headed for the big screen, for his widow, accomplished filmmaker Mimi deGruy, is producing a documentary about her late husband’s life and legacy. On November 15, she launched a Kickstarter campaign to fundraise the $75,000 needed to complete post-production.
Though loaded with some of the most amazing sea life footage ever captured and insight from luminaries such as Sir David Attenborough, Sylvia Earle, and James Cameron, the documentary was inspired by a newly found clip of Mike talking about the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010, and focuses on his shift to environmental activism. I spoke with Mimi to learn more about the project.
What led to this project?