Filmmaker and photographer Morgan Maassen, known for his award-winning surf imagery, captures the wondrous waters of Tahiti in this portrait of the French Polynesian island. Here, Maassen talks about his meditative film: 

"Nestled at the south-eastern tip of Tahiti, a mile marker carved out of coral ends the highway. Few tourists stray this far away from the idyllic beaches on the other side of the island, but those that do can look out from shore and see the mightiest of the world’s waves. 

“The wave seen in the film is called Teahupo’o—which translates as 'The Wall of Skulls.' This wave’s explosive energy represents unparalleled danger, but to those curious enough, beauty lies everywhere. I escape here far too often to challenge myself against the extremity of the sea, and revel in the beauty of where the mountains meet the crystalline waves."