How to Navigate Grief: An Experiment in a Journey
Grief is an ocean—vast, unpredictable, and at times, utterly overwhelming. It is a journey with no map, no compass, and no clear destination. But what if we treated grief not as something to be conquered but as something to be explored? A voyage into the unknown, filled with risk, beauty, and transformation.
This is the story of Wayne, a Tasmanian artist and filmmaker who, after 52 years of marriage, found himself alone. Anne, his lifelong love and creative partner, was gone. As if that loss wasn’t enough, just two years earlier, Wayne and Anne had lost their firstborn son, Jonathan, to drugs. Grief stacked upon grief, leaving Wayne searching for meaning in the wake of unbearable loss.
Then came an unexpected invitation—an opportunity to join Frank, a fellow widower, sailing through the Indonesian Archipelago. Frank, having lost his wife to cancer, sought solace on the open seas. Wayne took the leap, hoping that the isolation and challenge of the voyage would help him navigate his own grief.
Along the way, Wayne met people from all walks of life—each with their own stories of love and loss. These raw, unfiltered conversations revealed a profound truth: grief is not just sorrow. It is love persevering. It is laughter in the face of despair. It is the stories we tell and the memories we carry.
Grief is unpredictable. At times, it feels insurmountable; at others, it surprises us with humor, connection, and even moments of peace. As Wayne sailed into the unknown, he discovered something unexpected: good grief. A grief that does not consume but transforms. A grief that honours the love that came before it.
This is more than a film. It is an invitation. To widows, widowers, sons, daughters, and friends. To anyone who has ever loved and lost. It is a call to step into the unknown, to embrace the storm, and to remember that even in the darkest waters, there is still light ahead.
