Slowly Going Faster

David's love of storytelling started when he was 16 while photographing the San Francisco punk scene. What drew him in was the endless ways you can use images to tell a story. For David, photography and filmmaking are really about a type of minimalism, conveying complex ideas in a distilled image or short video piece. It’s about taking out what isn’t needed to reveal the essential.

Director Statement

Two years deep into documenting Alp Sungurtekin, a revered land speed racer and vehicle designer, and this marks the first time I’ve taken on a documentary film alone. It’s been a revelation—just how hard it is to chase a world record when the odds are stacked against you. Opportunities to test and race at Bonneville and El Mirage are scarce, and even when they come, the elements have the final say. Last year, Alp had the bike dialed in, ready to make history, but the salt was a mess—too wet, too slick to hit the top speeds. The year before? A total washout. It’s a brutal reminder that no matter how prepared you are, the conditions can shut you down in a heartbeat. Patience isn’t just a virtue here; it’s a necessity.