Spokane filmmaker David Marsh’s ‘Sharing Air’ began with love of telling stories

As a kid growing up in Hauser Lake, stories wove the fabric of David Marsh’s life.

From bedtime tales to laughter-fueled yarns told ‘round the dinner table, the memories left an imprint and eventually propelled him to become a filmmaker.

“Mom read the most amazing bedtime stories,” he recalled. “My family were hardworking blue-collar types, but they’d get together and tell stories.”

Marsh graduated from East Valley High School and after a stint in the Army returned to Washington to attend Washington State University.

He earned a degree in biology, but working as a lab tech felt limiting, so he launched a landscaping business in Pullman.

In 2006, he sold the business and relocated to Phoenix to pursue a career in video marketing. Finally, he was telling stories.

A venture into scuba diving set the course for award-winning work and provided the genesis for a feature film.

“I got into scuba diving and eventually became a certified instructor,” he recalled.

He met Jim Elliot, founder of Diveheart, a nonprofit organization established in 2001 that uses scuba diving to build confidence and independence for children, adults and veterans with disabilities.

Marsh was inspired while shooting videos for Diveheart.

“The joy you see when someone takes a genuine fear of water and turns it into confidence in the beauty of the water world.”

That’s when he realized he wanted to shoot more than marketing/informational videos.

“Telling stories for businesses wasn’t creative enough,” he said. “At 50, I decided to reinvent myself as a filmmaker.”

In 2022, he set out to make a documentary with Diveheart.

“Seven days earlier, my 27-year-old son had died from a drug overdose,” recalled Marsh. “I didn’t tell anyone.”

While filming, he got to know a quadriplegic diver and a cancer survivor, along with other individuals.

“I learned we’re all just adapting to life,” he said.

That film became the award-winning documentary “Adapting to Dive.”

It covers a transformative journey, including Marsh’s loss, while showcasing the resilience of individuals with disabilities.

When he read Elliot’s novel “Sharing Air,” he knew there was a bigger picture within its pages.

“I told Jim, we can make this a feature film.”

The plot revolves around a scuba instructor, haunted by his past, who helps disabled divers reclaim freedom underwater and learns to forgive himself along the way.

The movie’s tagline “Life is hard, but together we can do great things,” reflects the journey the characters take.

Marsh wrote the screenplay and serves as writer, director and producer.

“This isn’t a studio project – it’s a passion project, funded by donors.”

He takes pride in the authenticity of the casting.

“Disabled vets are played by real U.S. veterans, including an injured pilot now in a wheelchair,” he said.

Production is scheduled to begin in March, with the principal underwater photography occurring in the Florida Keys.

Acclaimed underwater cinematographer Frazier Nivens, founder and CEO of Ocean Imaging Productions, has joined the creative team of “Sharing Air.”

“Scuba diving is the hero of the story,” said Marsh. “You get to explore the 70% of the world that most people don’t see.”

He hopes the movie will be acquired by a streaming service and will premiere later this year.

Marsh traces his successful career back to his Hauser Lake roots and said his heart will always be tied to the Pacific Northwest.

“I grew up with parents who encouraged creativity,” he said. “Telling stories is so much fun – the joy of it stuck with me.”

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com.