La Jolla mother and son Stephanie and Brett Hoffman see healing and medicinal benefits in the ocean.
So they decided to put their experiences and enthusiasm into a new feature-length documentary called “Saltwaterx,” which takes a deeper look into why, how and when the ocean can be used as a healing tool while also analyzing the importance of marine conservation efforts. The “rx” in the title is stylized to resemble the abbreviation for prescription.
The movie was produced by Nautilus Studios, a local company founded by Brett, who is the film’s director. Stephanie, working on her first film, is the executive producer.
“The ocean community here in San Diego is stronger than most,” Brett said, and thus the film has many San Diego residents on camera and behind the scenes.
“Saltwaterx” will officially premiere at a sold-out screening Thursday, May 9, at the Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla.
Another showing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla.
Water therapy and a love of the ocean have been constant themes in Stephanie and Brett’s lives for as long as they can .
Stephanie, who owns La Jolla Shores Physical Therapy, says actions ranging from simple walks on the beach to floating in the water to surfing the waves can have positive effects on one’s mental and physical condition.
The film helps share those ideas with the greater community.
“I was at a film festival and turned to my son … and said ‘Hey, why don’t we make a film?’” Stephanie said.
From there, the two began brainstorming ideas on how to create a film that could generate excitement about the healing benefits of the ocean while simultaneously using information pulled from heavy research.
“We started finding people who were already using the ocean,” Stephanie said. “We started to shoot the film using four storytellers. Each storyteller explains their history with disease and bodily dysfunction and then we have three doctors in the film who weave in their medical perspective.”
As the movie began to come together, the Hoffmans quickly realized how their lives and careers were merging. From real-life patients of Stephanie’s who shared success stories from ocean therapy to Brett’s lifelong love of the ocean, the day-to-day filming process unfolded naturally.
“I was raised with the ocean around me and have always been a water person,” said Brett, who has years of professional experience working on various screen projects and as an underwater cinematographer. “I feel so comfortable filming in the ocean, and exploring the healing modalities of the ocean has been transformative in many ways.”
As society came out of the lockdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephanie and Brett realized the toll the shutdowns had taken on social interactions. Beyond the ocean’s healing qualities, they saw time in the water as a form of community building, and that became another aspect of “Saltwaterx.”
“Some people have not come out of the hole of COVID, and mental health [issues] are way up,” Stephanie said.
She hopes people who watch the film “ that the ocean is there and there is such a big community there.”
The Hoffmans said they also wanted to place heavy emphasis on ocean conservation.
“If we take care of the ocean, then the ocean will continue to take care of us,” Stephanie said.
She added that she hopes “Saltwaterx” will spark a movement of people turning to the ocean for answers to their health and wellness questions.
“I am hoping people will start to consider blue-water therapy,” she said. “Go by the ocean, walk by the ocean and get in the ocean. We can open up one more avenue for people to use as a self-healing modality.”
Brett said he sees the film as “a pivotal part of my career, and I would love to see this film appear at festivals in the future. I would love to continue working on projects relating to the water.”
For more information about “Saltwaterx” and the screenings, visit saltwaterx.org. ◆
