Profile Spotlight: Rafa Herrero Massieu

[Profile Spotlights]

We here at One Day on Earth are ecstatic to have Rafa Herrero Massieu, an amazing underwater filmmaker in our ranks of participants for the upcoming 12.12.12 filming event. His breathtaking subjects and vivid imagery are literally from Another World.

 

 

Another World from Rafa Herrero Massieu on Vimeo.

One Day on Earth: Who are you and what is your profession?
Rafa: I am first of all a great lover of the sea, especially of the life that is hidden beneath the surface. I was born in an oceanic archipelago, the Canary Islands, and that always has struck me. I need the sea as much as the air I breathe.
I have been a professional diver for many years, photographer and now underwater camera. My profession has always been the excuse to feel the sea nearby.

One Day on Earth: Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
Rafa: My career has been to turn my passion into a way of life. My training is that of an autodidact, correcting my mistakes, evolving and to be my own biggest critic. I founded Aquawork in 1994, the company I direct and from which I work in projects of underwater filming and nature.

One Day on Earth: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Rafa: What really inspires me is being an underwater cameraman, being under the sea. Being a filmmaker is just a way to show what I see and feel.

One Day on Earth: Who or what do you most admire?
Rafa: I admire people who have a big passion for what they do and also have sufficient sensitivity and professionalism to carry it out. Among them is Leandro Blanco, one of the most international of Spanish underwater filmmakers.

One Day on Earth: What do you have?
Rafa: The opportunity to enjoy and feel the Ocean every day.

One Day on Earth: What do you need?
Rafa: A greater awareness about how badly we handle the sea, and how we mistreat it. I need to convey to people the need to protect our oceans through knowledge.

One Day on Earth: What are you planning on filming for 12.12.12?
Rafa: A fantastic project that unites people around the world for a great common cause. We have an enormous responsibility to be good administrators.