Swimming the Rock

Joshua Kerns overcomes his grief by taking the plunge and swimming to shore from Alcatraz. Shot around the SF Bay Area waterfront, "Swimming the Rock" follows a man's determination to fulfill his grandmother's last wish.

  • Nicolas Collins
    Director
  • Alex Zajicek
    Director
    "I Edit Lectures", "How to be Animated", "Sorry, We're Dead"
  • Joshua Kerns
    Producer
  • Joshua Kerns
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Short, Inspiring, Personal, Swimming, Grief
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 10, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nicolas Collins, Alex Zajicek

Nicolas Collins is a Bay Area based filmmaker who’s made short films and music videos that have toured around the world. He currently works as a video editor for commercials, documentaries, and narratives.

Alex Zajicek, born and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has always been interested in telling stories. Ever since he got his first video camera, he has been making short films. Shortly after graduating from California College of the Arts with a film degree, he began his career as a freelance filmmaker in the SF Bay Area and that's where he has been ever since. As a filmmaker, he loves both animation and film, and tries to play with and poke the edges of both mediums in his work.

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Director Statement

Joshua initially approached us trying to borrow a GoPro so he could try and document his Alcatraz swim, but once we found out his story, we offered to jump in and help with the film. Joshua gladly brought us on board, and it allowed us to craft this personal yet meaningful little documentary about person attempting to deal with his grief.