Sports documentary, “Highwater”, from Outsider Pictures and narrator/writer/director, Dana Brown, documents 2005’s Triple Crown of Surfing from Oahu’s North Shore. This documentary has everything you’d expect from a production crafted by Bruce “Endless Summer” Brown’s son: gorgeous footage of big waves, friendly interviews with top surfers (including Robbie Page, Kelly Slater, Sonny Garcia, Chelsea Georgeson, Jon-Jon Florence), quirky stories and competition drama. This is a laid back, wide angle look at the competition that seems to saunter among the locals rather than doggedly pursue any incisive journalistic agenda.
Certainly, Brown is interested in whether the North Shore and its inhabitants – transient or otherwise – are being changed by the money, but this isn't the movie for over-serious inquiry. Brown’s too much a part of the culture for that, and his passion for the lifestyle and the people who live it is palpable, and infuses the film with an enjoyable feel good vibe. As you might expect from the previous line, it does occasionally veer into the realms of cheese, but, contrastingly, the film is also unafraid of examining tragedy, in this case the untimely death of young surfer, Malik Joyeux.
While other recent surf documentaries, such as the excellent “Fiberglass and Megapixels” might focus more on how the industry itself is forcing new developments in the surfing world (the relationship between photographers and surfers), “Highwater” acts more as a time capsule and historical record of the lifestyle that continues to thrive around the industry. Enjoyable and easygoing, just the way it should be.
Exclusive southern California engagements of “Highwater” begin Friday, September 3rd in Orange County at AMC 30 at The Block , Orange, Orange, CA (www.AMCTheatres.com, The City Drive N. of 22 Fwy 888. AMC-4FUN) and in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex (www.laemmle.com 1332 2nd Street Santa Monica, CA 310.478-3836).
Dana Brown will be attending the Laemmle's Monica 4-plex Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and he will conduct a Q&A after the 5:20 and 7:45pm shows. In addition to this, he will be interviewed live on KOCI-Radio (101.5 FM, also streaming live) at 12pm Sunday.
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