Borrowed Air

Born into the Bajau community, Pak Well grew up with the sea as his home, his teacher, and his source of life. Like generations before him, he learned to fish and freedive from an early age, carrying an ancient connection to the ocean.

But as the pressures of modern life grew, Pak Well turned to compressor diving, a dangerous practice that allowed him to dive deeper and longer in order to feed his family. For more than a decade, each descent carried invisible risks, sacrificing his own safety for survival.

Today, Pak Well has chosen a different path. Returning to the traditional art of freediving, he is reclaiming a relationship with the sea built on respect rather than extraction. Alongside his community, he now restores damaged coral reefs, understanding that the future of fish, the ocean, and the Bajau people are inseparable.

Through the intimate story of one man, Pak Well is a powerful reflection on survival, identity, and hope. It is a story about a father, a community, and the enduring bond between people and the ocean, a reminder that healing nature can also heal the lives that depend upon it.

Borrowed Air was filmed in collaboration with Jari Foundation, which does amazing work supporting coastal communities across Sumbawa and Lombok.

Borrowed Air is currently screening at film festivals.