Devin Boss recalls watching the waves crash against the rocks at Thor’s Well on his recent Oregon Coast road trip with friends. “It’s probably like in the top five things I’ve ever witnessed in nature,” he says of the natural attraction in Yachats, just down the path from Cape Perpetua Visitors Center. “It was like standing at the foot of a volcano, so amazing to witness the raw power of nature. I could’ve stood there forever.”
Boss, a filmmaker in his 30s from Portland, had recruited his two friends, Solamon Ibe and Mat Randol, specifically to appreciate and document moments like this — time spent away from the concrete jungle of the city, untethered briefly from the pressures of their families, jobs, emails and social media.
That can be a challenge for anyone, but especially for three Black men, Boss says, who did not grow up spending a lot of time in nature. “Normally we’re doing stuff like this at a bar or in a backyard,” he says.
The experience led to a 15-minute documentary by Boss, “What We Lost Along the Way,” designed to inspire people like himself to be intentional about spending time in nature with loved ones. The film won Best Shorts Award at the worldwide Best Shorts Competition, and was well-received at its screening at the November 2024 Portland Film Festival.
Traveling While Black
Boss, Ibe and Randol hopped in the car and drove a couple hours southwest of Portland to Oregon’s Central Coast, where they drove ATVs on the dunes and took their first guided kayak tour, with the beginner-friendly Oregon Boating Foundation in Newport. They spent time on misty forest trails, put their phones away and found themselves opening up about their vulnerabilities — something they wouldn’t have necessarily done back home.
“We were realizing a lot of people have similar experiences,” he says. “We’re trying to dispel the myth that Black people don’t go outdoors.”
Indeed, Boss says one of the unique aspects of his trip was traveling while Black. “You know you’re an outlier in the space,” he says, however “when we’re together there’s a sense of brotherhood — I felt as safe as I could feel.” Race is something he is “consciously aware of” as he travels into different regions and wilderness areas, he says. In the past, he’s traveled to the Coast on his own and “I was extremely circumspect, on alert.” On this trip, “everybody showed up normal.”
That said, Boss wants Black visitors and others to “do what you want to do,” he says. “This space is as much ours as anyone else’s.” For an added feeling of security, he says, “I would say take someone you love with you — someone equally as open to new experiences and adventures.”
An Oregon Adventure Film is Born
Boss’ documentary was one of two films produced in 2024 with $22,500 Outdoor Adventure Film grants by Travel Oregon in partnership with the OregonMade Creative Foundation, with funds provided through Oregon Film’s Creative Opportunity Program. The other film, produced by a pair of siblings in Woodburn, is due to be released in 2025.
Redefining Your Narrative
While dreaming up his next Oregon adventures, Boss is working on promoting his film at more festivals and in the community. In the past he’s worked with organizations like Black Parent Initiative, North by Northeast Community Health Center, Brown Hope, Self Enhancement, Inc., Oregon Black Pioneers and more, to tell stories of struggle, perseverance, passion, community and triumph.
“It’s so powerful to redefine your self narrative,” Boss says. “For us to not take advantage of these spaces, that’s a huge disservice to us. That’s the most impactful force for positivity in life.”
For More:
This film is part of a series of films made possible, in part, by an Outdoor Adventure Film Grant from the Oregon Made Creative Foundation, Travel Oregon and Oregon Film. For other films funded by this grant, see “Pedal Through,” which explores a Black woman’s healing through bike packing, “Our Trails Too,” on the movement to make the outdoors welcoming to all, and Any Oregon Sunday, which documents three Oregon womens’ extreme motorcycle adventures.
