Joining this unique research project that would explore the psychology of outdoor experiences, I realised that audiences would benefit from not just the final deep and detailed study paper, but also a succinct story of the process and the findings.

The tricky part was that cameras or external people would disrupt and skew the psychology of the participants. This was not Reality TV. So the film tells the story of the process obliquely, through interviews with eco-psychologist David Key, programme lead Jess Desmond, and research lead Dr Ranmalie Jayasinha;, as well as the character of the Waitakere Ranges itself.

Analysing the wealth of qualitative findings took many months. Then the next creative challenge presented itself – how to package and present a core conclusion in the film that was true to the research, but visual and succinct?

As with many projects like this, it’s easy to get lost in the rushes. So I pulled in my old friend and collaborator Tom Bober to bring perspective, speed, and a snappy narrative, combined with his deep interest and knowledge about connecting to nature on a personal level.

It’s exciting to at last show off this special collaboration.