David O'Connell
First Love: a surfing documentary with heart
February 15th 2011 12:13
This award winning documentary captures the lives and desires of three good friends; Jess Laing, Nikki van Dijk and India Payne. They all live on Phillip Island, Australia; the place where rock concerts rage and international motorbike races are duelled. You are fooled by these girls’ looks and maturity, for the average age of these young women is only 15, and they are wise for their age.
Far from the raging crowds of big events, there are more serene areas on the island, where the waves gently buffet the lolling whales, seals cheekily streak through wave walls and probably more than a few sharks have their curiosity piqued (if not their appetites) by those zippy humans on their surf boards.
The girls grew up together surfing the break on Phillip Island, but that was never enough, they all shared a dream to conquer the international professional surfing circuits and make a life doing what they love above all else, surfing.
Glorious sunset shots!
The girls do not come across as ego driven monsters hell bent on doing anything for fame, far from it. They have a level-headedness and maturity way beyond their years; they have worked hard, they know discipline is the anchor of all success; they have set their goals and know to be patient while getting there.
The girls at a Phillip Island rock concert
When on the wave line, it is all out war between the girls. But, that ‘war’ ends on the shoreline, they then return to laughing, hugging buddies, enjoying their young energy filled lives to the hilt.
First Love is not about the first clumsy forays into dating, it is of another nature altogether, a deeper and spiritual relationship that the girls have been developing with one of nature’s hardest elements to master, the wave.
Jess carving her name with pride
The girls tell us about the feeling you can only get upon a wave, learning to control their fears, the thrill of mastering its power. Their dreams are all about making a career out of surfing, but, much more than that.
Early on in the film, on the eve before they all leave for Hawaii, Jess became the film’s narrator by default; as we see a terrible accident in a heavy wave tear all the ligaments off her shoulder, incapacitating her for a year and a half. It is a slow, hard recovery, as she spends time healing on her parents’ farm, while her besties (best friends) flew off to surfing Nirvana, the North Island of Hawaii.
Jess on road to recovery
Jess is also a sufferer of that debilitating disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This syndrome, for too many years, was ignored by the medical fraternity, putting patient’s complaints down to neurosis, but it could not be further from the truth.
It has no clear cause single, with treatments and responses varying tremendously between sufferers, and no one treatment will cure it. Instead, sufferers must bear not only the effects of the disease, feelings of isolation and depression, but also the ignorance of others and a long haul to recovery, mostly measured in years.
For some, a complete cure is never found. For Jess, only after surfing in very cold water would her symptoms abate for awhile, allowing her to get some desperately needed sleep that day.
So, it is no wonder her depth of sensitivity, her empathy and her insight into the most cherished of things, friendship and family, permeates her thoughts with almost poetic phrasing.
Nikki, chairman of the (surf)board
The contender to win the first international professional trophy looks likely to be Nikki van Dijk. When I had a brief interview with the girls (to be published here soon) I found out Nikki had won her last junior pro competition, in Sydney the day before we met, and now she is ready to compete professionally on the world stage, or should I say, world waves!
All the girls are sponsored. I did ask them whether the sponsors were looking after them properly, when competing around Australia, and they all assured me they were very well looked after, the sponsors staff a house for them at the various competitions.
This was welcome news, as their maturity in presentation and conversation belies their youth, and if their sponsors wish to reap the golden rewards from these girls becoming ambassadors for the sport of surfing, attracting more young women into the sport, then the sponsors know they must be careful to nurture the girls properly, in every sense of the word.
The documentary is charming, fascinating, heart warming and endearing. You really care about these girls, as their good natures shine through the glassy marketing walls of surfing’s competitive life, they constantly remind you of the importance of their friendships and family, and yet still retain the necessary attitude and tenacity to survive in ruthless competition.
India Payne
Once India and Nikki were on the Hawaiian North Island's beach, staring at the enormity and ferocity of those gigantic waves, India gave momentarily into panic, and who wouldn’t? Shots of those waves sent a small chill down my spine.
Cahill Bell-Warren, the good Samaritan
It took one of the many friends they have made along the way, in the surfing world, to coax her to face her fears, Cahill Bell-Warren came to the rescue. He is always there for the girls; it is a surprisingly caring community.
Nikki van Dijk
Nikki van Dijk, however, needed no encouragment, as she powered into the breach of the Hawaiian monsters and marvelled at meeting her surfing heroes, who all of whom freely gave of their time for the younger girls.
In the male surfing world, we find out that there is no where near as much camaraderie on shore, as the girls enjoy. Too much testosterone always seems to get in the way of the overly masculine, virile male showing his softer and non-competitive side.
World Champion Stephanie Gilmore
Stephanie Gilmore is one of the girls’ heroes, the world champion spent lots of time with them in Hawaii, and they captured Gilmore capturing her third world title and the celebration afterwards.
The beautious Alana Blanchard
Alana Blanchard also makes an appearance, she is regarded as the “hottest” surfer in the world, just think of a glamour super model with real talent, surfing in her case, and you get the picture.
An amusing moment was when Nikki (I think it was) mentioned that Alana is the only surfer she has seen wear makeup on the waves!
Coco Ho is no 'princess'
We also get to meet Coco Ho, (love that name!) who comes from the surfing world’s royal family, Coco is only 19, but has blazed a trail of inspiration for young surfer girls the world over.
And that sums this film up, it is inspirational.
It will excite and encourage a generation of young girls thinking of surfing. It will also remind everyone who sees this film, that what is really important in one’s life is family, friends and pragmatism.
The documentary was shot by three more young women;
Director, DOP & Editor Claire Gorman
Claire Gorman: Director, Cinematographer, Editor.As a Phillip Island local living a stones-throw from Woolamai beach, her credits include; Just a Drop, Something Blue and Penguin Island, a 360 Degrees production to be aired on the ABC, BBC and The National Geographic Channel. Recently Gorman made ‘Eddie’, a short film about the 2009 Eddie Aikau at Waimea Bay which was selected for the 2010 North Shore surf Film Festival and the 2011 Yallingup Surf Film Festival. Claire is currently working on a film about women’s big wave surfing.
Gorman's direction, camera work and editing, in First Love, shows she is a dab hand at these crafts and I look forward to seeing her next project.
Producer, Art Director, water shots Clare Plueckhahn
Clare Plueckhahn: Producer, Art Director, Water Footage. Clare's background is commercial photography. Her work has appeared on billboards around the nation and in publications such as ACP Magazines, News Magazines, The Age, Foam Mag, Pop Magazine and Australian Surfing Life.
Plueckhahn has demostrated her ability with the shots taken in the water amidst the waves. Clare has joined forces with Fran to start CosWeCan – their first project as a team will be a womens surfing TV Series.
Fran Derham: Producer, Writer, PR
Fran Derham: Producer, Writer, Public Relations. Derham, with Gorman and Plueckhahn, have captured the essence of what makes these girls motivated and interesting. We see below the exterior and into the true hearts of the girls who love surfing. There is not a moment that feels 'scripted' or directed.
The film has a home spun feel to it; its look, with hand written words appearing momentarily across the screen, to underscore the import of the message, and the imagery of the sea, sunsets and the slice of life captured, all combine to enrich the viewer's experience.
I particularly loved the way they shot it with a steady hand; I absolutely loathe hand held jerkily shot documentaries. I want the imagery and the action to capture my imagination; I do not want the annoying interference of camera work making itself overtly obvious to derail my relationship with the story being told.
These young women avoided that trap, bravo!
It is towards the end of the film that some spectacular imagery is captured; it brought back memories of my childhood seeing Endless Summer at the cinema, with those fabulous sunsets.
All the camera work was also expertly and elegantly handled.
I have one small criticism, that there were not more of those glorious shots throughout the film. However, that is not to say the rest of the film is lacking, for its subject, the girls, take command of your attention, as you follow their little odyssey to Hawaii.
I SAY: Go see this film; I think you will be glad you did.
SEE IT FOR:The joie de vivre that most of us adults have lost, and the great imagery.
Cinema release Australia wide February 23rd, 2011.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
Won Best Documentary Film at the X Dance Film Festival
Claire Gorman won Best Emerging Film Maker for First Love at the X Dance Film Festival
Selected for the Dungog Film Festival
Selected for the Hawaii International Film Festival
IMAGE CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS
All images copyright of Production Company, Publishers and/or Distributors, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Images used for illustration of product for review purposes only, low res copies, not meant for redistribution.
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Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
yeah, it is endearing on a lot of levels, and it will be really interesting to see what they do in the next few years, both the surfing girls and the documentary makers.
I will be doing a couple of follow up pieces on this, with the interviews of the girls and the all girl production crew, whom I briefly interviewed tonight at the Sydney Premiere.
I will give you good notice so you can schedule it in here.
cheers
fog
cheers
fog