EP. 1683: Filmmaker Zayde Naquib (Rhythms: An Indivisible Marathon Swim)

On September 22, 2025, Chef Matthew Biancaniello embarked on one of the greatest challenges of his life: a 21 mile swim from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes, CA. While his journey is inspiring on its own, he didn’t do it just for himself. The swim was a vehicle to raise money and awareness for Indivisible Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching consciousness and creativity to kids. https://instagram.com/frequency.creative   What motivated you to make this film? This is the 2nd film in a documentary series I’m directing called Rhythms, which is all about the unseen rituals of inspiring people. I learned about Matthew Biancaniello’s marathon swim to raise money for Indivisible Arts through Robert Wemischner, who’s both a friend and was the subject for the first Rhythms film.  I was immediately intrigued, but then I spoke to Matthew as well as Rafael McMaster, the founder of Indivisible Arts, and I was so inspired. I knew I had to tell this story in some way, and thankfully everyone was excited to have me involved in this capacity. Indivisible Arts is a remarkable organization, teaching creativity and consciousness to kids. The first time I went to their space in Hermosa Beach I was taken aback. These kids are able to explore their own sense of self in a way that’s rare, as well as build vital mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills. Coupling that story with Matthew’s intense swim, 2 years after major back surgery, was something I felt deeply moved by. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I learned about the September 2025 swim in July. By early September we were confirmed to shoot, with production beginning on September 22. We completed the film and released it online on November 2, so it was about 4 months in total. — Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod