depths of warm waters to the white vastness of polar regions. Michael produces films with integrity, serving to both inform and educate the general public about important environmental issues.
In 2015, Michael was inducted as cinematographer in the Ocean Artists Society( www. oceanartistssociety. org), an organisation uniting artists worldwide to raise awareness and protect the marine environment through art. He is also a founding Navigator of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute( www. reefresearch. org), a leading scientific research centre focusing on coral reef restoration, research on coral resilience, and ocean education.
THE STORY OF EPIPHANY
Epiphany is a true story about love, autism, Nature, passion, fear, determination, perseverance and making
In her search for the“ key” to be able to communicate with people affected by autism, she discovered similarities with wild animals
her surroundings. Whilst making remarkable progress, she also realised that the core issue would never disappear: mainstream society would not accept“ being different”. Thus, Ellen and Michael decided to move away from their busy lives and settle at the other end of the world, close to Nature, in Grand Cayman.
Living near the ocean, Ellen started diving and took her old passion, photography, underwater.
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daunting choices in life. Ellen Cuylaerts, mother and award-winning, internationally renowned wildlife photographer, was afraid of water. She set out to conquer that fear over and over again in her quest to help the environment.
Early in her marriage to Michael, Ellen, a Master in History and Education, former Cisco engineer and e-commerce founder, was trapped in a peculiar situation. Her family was simply not meeting the expectations of social peers. While fighting an exhausting battle, mainly against ignorance and prejudice, she found relief in a piece of paper: the diagnosis of autism in her husband and two children. Armed with this knowledge, she could start adjusting
Early on, she understood the power of images and social media in bringing environmental awareness to the public. Thus, her mission was born: to show people the in-depth beauty of sharks and engage in a battle to refute the allegation that sharks are a danger to humans.
In her search for the“ key” to be able to communicate with people affected by autism, she discovered similarities with wild animals. Could that revelation help her to navigate her loved ones through society? Would it allow her to connect to those large predators she welcomed in front of her lens? SDOP
01 Ellen photographing a whale shark, Isla Mujeres, Mexico