The Laps TV: Tasmania, streaming now!

Excited to share a little glimpse into the adventure TV documentary I directed and produced, The Laps TV: Tasmania, streaming now on Garage Films.

The Lap of Tassie, as we call it within the crew, follows two Aussie surf dads Dustin Hollick and Rhian Slapp, on a journey around Tasmania in 10 days with no cash, no car, no phone, and just 10 personal items each. The film was over two years in the making, and then a very fast-paced run-and-gun production with a small crew of four including myself plus the two cast.

One of the most challenging projects of my life, this project explores a world without cash, the unpredictability of nature, and the kindness of strangers.

WATCH NOW on Garage, on in-flight TV with Qantas, Jetstar, and Singapore Airlines. Coming soon to iTunes.

Waves of Grace - experience the impact of Liberia's Ebola crisis in VR

Virtual Reality is quite possibly the most powerful educational tool we have. In this 360 experience by Gabo Arora and Chris Milk for Within, I spent 10 minutes of my Sunday afternoon walking alongside Eboloa survivor Decontee Davis in Liberia, where 11,207 people have died (including neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone) since the outbreak began in December 2013.* To put this number in to perspective, in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, USA, in 2001, 2,996 people were killed (including the 19 hijackers).

When we are so removed from health crises such as those that plague Africa, it is difficult to comprehend the reality. Virtual Reality is able to break down the barriers of distance and teleport users directly into the shoes of others, raising empathy and ultimately cultivating compassion thus becoming a powerful tool in education.

For a full immersive experience, watch Waves of Grace in a VR headset on the Within VR app.

*Source: Reuters

Passion Forward Interview on The Seea

“The ocean taught me that no matter how big your house, how big your ego, at the end of the day we have little control over life but we can choose how we respond to life’s many challenges,” shares Angie Davis, a filmmaker, writer and virtual reality entrepreneur.

I sat down recently while I was in Bali to chat with one of my favourite humans Lauren Hill, who interviewed me on my experience surviving domestic violence, my life as a digital nomad with kids, how the ocean has helped me heal, and my jump into Virtual Reality.

Thank you The Seea for publishing my very raw story and finding it inspiring.

Read the full interview here: http://bit.ly/theseea-angiedavis

Pushkar Camel Fair: Happy camels or just human entertainment?

The Pushkar Camel Fair had been on my 'to-do' list since I was the editor at Yahoo!7 Travel, when we'd create galleries and blogs about the world's craziest festivals. I'm not sure what attracted me the most at the time. Was it the cinematic elements of dressed up camels in the Rajasthani desert? Or was it the stories of gypsies gathering to trade their animals and enjoy the accompanying festivities? Probably both.

Pushkar Camel Fair. Credit: Angie Davis

In the six years gone since those gallery-building days, I have turned vegan, and have a completely new outlook on dressing up animals for entertainment. Regardless, as fate would have it I found myself on a bus to Pushkar at the tail-end of the 'Mela', Remy and the kids, and my camera, in tow.

The Mela

Held each November at the time of the Kartik Purnima full moon, Pushkar Camel Fair is quite the spectacle, attracting thousands of camels and their owners from all over the Indian desert region of Rajasthan, and visited by almost half a million people in just two weeks. Photographers and travel writers have long-documented this cinematic event, but I was intrigued to visit first-hand to witness both the carnival atmosphere and the camel vibes.

The fair is, admittedly, impressive. Seductive even. We arrive at dusk, and the light is a photographer's dream. As I rush around in the sand taking shots of the camels and their owners, I'm drawn to the community atmosphere oozing from the makeshift campsites of the traders. We are joined by a local Rajasthani musician whom we met in the market, who doubles as our guide and informant. He walks us through the hundreds of camels and humans and I'm in awe at the magnitude of this event.

A camel taxi. Credit: Angie Davis

On one side of the fairgrounds are food and trinket stalls; camel decorations hang from shop tents like tinsel from a Christmas tree. Flamboyantly decorated camels stand attached to ruby red wagons, aka camel taxis, waiting for the tourists (mostly domestic) to hop in for a ride around the desert. Camels have a unique personality that I can't quite grasp; solemn, perhaps, proud, perhaps, but I'm quite sure I didn't spot a happy camel among the throngs. I see one camel tied at the knees, screeching as its owners try to force it to the ground. Another is being dressed decorations through the nose, similarly resisting with all its vocal might. One more walks heavily through the sand transporting a 'healthy' family of Indians in the red taxi cab, the camel master whipping the animal's rear to keep her inline. The kids are perplexed; such a wonder to be surrounded by these mystical animals, but why do they look so sad? Empathy builds.

What we know about camels

"The earliest known camel, called Protylopus, lived in North America 40 to 50 million years ago (during the Eocene).[15] It was about the size of a rabbit and lived in the open woodlands of what is now South Dakota.[59][60] By 35 million years ago, the Poebrotherium was the size of a goat and had many more traits similar to camels and llamas.[61][62] The hoofed Stenomylus, which walked on the tips of its toes, also existed around this time, and the long-necked Aepycamelus evolved in the Miocene.[63]

The direct ancestor of all modern camels, Procamelus, existed in the upper Miocene and lower Pliocene.[64] Around 3–5 million years ago, the North American Camelidae spread to South America as part of the Great American Interchange via the newly formed Isthmus of Panama, where they gave rise to guanacos and related animals, and to Asia via the Bering land bridge.[15][59][60]

A camel walks with its owner. Almost all camels left in the world are now domesticated. Credit: Angie Davis

The last camel native to North America was Camelops hesternus, which vanished along with horses, short-faced bears, mammoths and mastodons, ground sloths, sabertooth cats, and many other megafauna, coinciding with the migration of humans from Asia.[68][69]

Like the horse, before their extinction in their native land, camels spread across the Bering land bridge, moving the opposite direction from the Asian immigration to America, to survive in the Old World and eventually be domesticated and spread globally by humans. Most camels surviving today are domesticated.[40][70] Along with many other megafauna in North America, the original wild camels were wiped out during the spread of Native Americans from Asia into North America, 12,000 to 10,000 years ago.[68][69] Although feral populations exist in Australia, India and Kazakhstan, the only wild camels left are the wild Bactrian camels of the Gobi Desert.[9]" - Source: Wikipedia.

When should we transform tradition?

Years ago I joined my good friend and professional surfer Dave Rastovich to the south of Japan, filming for The Cove, a film that exposes the horrific annual dolphin drives and slaughters in Taiji, Wakayama. The night before our intended peaceful paddle-out ceremony to pay tribute to the dolphins who had lost their lives over the years in this eerie yet stunning bay, my ex-husband, Dave, Hannah Fraser and I found ourselves on a night-mission trip from Osaka to Taiji to meet with local fishermen and surfers to discuss the issue and potential solutions.

It has been clear to the dolphin hunters for many years now that the West does not support its capturing of dolphins for aquarium trade and the subsequent slaughter for meat that has now been well documented globally by the likes of Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd. And whilst Dave presented many alternatives for economic empowerment, including dolphin and whale watching, which would generate much more revenue for the fisherman and require far less physical output, the local consensus was made very clear: killing dolphins was their tradition and they weren't planning on stopping.

The irony of the Taiji saga is this: Japanese people don't eat dolphin. At least, not knowingly. Some eat whale as a delicacy, but those who consume dolphin are mostly unknown to the fact, with the meat sold under the term 'Whale Bacon', or being used for dog food and fertilizers. When The Cove was shown to Japanese citizens, many were shocked that the huntings were happening in Taiji at all and couldn't stomach the footage.

But despite the global attention that the film generated, the killings still continue, even under the watchful eye of the world. Tradition, for now, prevails.

Camels and their traders camp in the sands at the Mela. Credit: Angie Davis

So what fate lies in store for the camels of Rajasthan, with almost half a million festival-goers treading through the sands each year to get up close and personal with these intriguing creatures and their pom-pom adornments? Let's hope more love is offered their way and as with the slow demise of elephant riding in Thailand humans raise their awareness to appreciate these creatures without exploiting them .

What do you think? Should we transform tradition in respect for the animals? Have your say in the comments below.

Nepal Trek for Domestic Violence Awareness

Registration is now open to join our First We Walk Nepal Himalaya Expedition to trek the Gosainkunda Lake region, November 2017, for Domestic Violence Awareness.

From November 15-27, you can join me, my ninja turtle kids, and like-minded trekkers from around the world on an incredible expedition in the Nepali Himalayas. Our trekkers will all be fundraising throughout the year leading up to the trek, with 100% of public donations going to Her Farm Nepal, a non-profit women's agricultural refuge in Nepal growing hope for the Himalayas.

Objectives

• Raise funds to finance a new Greenhouse for Her Farm Nepal, and a women's micro-finance fund;
• Host a 3-day 'thrive' retreat at Her Farm (limited spaces available) following the trek, to share skills and stories as a global community (yoga, meditation, Wim Hof Method introduction, agricultural farming, storytelling for film making, holistic therapy);
• Raise global awareness for domestic and gender-based violence;
• Inspire unity consciousness.

The Trek

12-days from Kathmandu through the Gosainkunda region and return to Kathmandu.

The Gosainkunda area has been delineated as a religious site. Hindu Mythology attributes Gosainkunda as the abode of the Hindu deities Shiva and Gauri. The Hindu scriptures Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Parana and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata refer to the Samudra manthan, which is directly related to the origin of Gosainkunda. Its waters are considered holy and of particular significance during the Gangadashahara and the Janao Purnima festivals where thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India visit the region. Gosainkunda is believed to have been created by Lord Shiva when he thrust his holy Trident into a mountain to extract water so he could cool his stinging throat after he had swallowed poison.

The main inhabitants of Gosainkunda region are Tamang and Sherpa (of Tibetan origin), whose religion, culture, language and dress are similar to the Tibetan people. Gosainkunda trekking offers an incredible opportunity to experience Nepal's unique combination of cultures, landscapes, stunning mountains and diverse wildlife and vegetation.

For full details and to download the trekkers information PDF, visit: http://www.theaniccaway.com/nepal-2017/

There will then be limited spaces are available for trekkers to join us at Her Farm following the trek, from November 27th to host a 3-day workshop with the women, sharing skills and stories. We will practice yoga, meditation, and breath work, hold a storytelling for filmmaking workshop, learn agricultural techniques from the women, and share stories and sacred space as a global community of women (and men!)

Register your involvement today ad join us to make a change and help end domestic and gender-based violence worldwide.