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Laird Hamilton in Take Every Wave - this is the story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness — and the cost that comes with it.
Photo: Rory Kennedy
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Rory Kennedy and Jennifer Peedom are among the filmmakers who will be bringing their latest work to San Sebastian's Savage Cinema section this September.
Peedom, who was BAFTA nominated for Sherpa last year, presents documentary Mountain, featuring narration from Willem Dafoe. Kennedy's Take Every Wave - which had its premiere at Sundance - documents the life of surfer Laird Hamilton.
They join four additional films in the section of the festival dedicated to sports and adventure films.
The full list (with descriptions courtesy of the festival) is:
Mountain, Jennifer Peedom (Australia)
A unique cinematic and musical collaboration between the Australian Chamber Orchestra and BAFTA-nominated director Jennifer Peedom, Mountain is an exploration of our obsession with mountains. Only three centuries ago, climbing a mountain would have been considered close to lunacy. The idea scarcely existed that wild landscapes might hold any sort of attraction. Peaks were places of peril, not beauty. Why, then, are we now drawn to mountains in our millions? Mountain shows us the spellbinding force of high places - and their ongoing power to shape our lives and our dreams.
Paradigm Lost, John Decesare (US)
For Kai Lenny, the ocean is a playground as long as you are having fun. Kai is continually challenging the notion of what a surfer is, from riding huge waves to open ocean swells, on any means conceivable. Whether testing himself competitively or sharing the stoke of riding with friends, there are only waves and endless possibilities that come with a mind wide open.
Secrets Of Desert Point, Ira Opper (US)
In the early Eighties, while sailing in crude leaky boats off remote Lombok island in Indo, young California surfer Bill Heick and his friends stumbled across the perfect wave. As treacherous as it was beautiful, this motley crew of modern-day surf argonauts named it 'Desert Point'. These pioneers kept their treasure off the map for more than a decade and made it their life's mission to surf uncrowded Desert Point at the highest level possible...no matter the cost. Join us for a journey on one of the last great dirtbag adventures of the 20th century. One passed through three generations. And learning that if want to keep paradise, you need to stand up for it.
Take Every Wave: The Life Of Laird Hamilton, Rory Kennedy (US) An in-depth uncompromising portrait of a living surf legend, Take Every Wave examines the life of an extraordinary individual fuelled by fear, ambition and challenge. This rip-roaring account of his life gives us a rare and intimate glimpse into what drives an elite athlete to follow the rules or break them; revealing how he changed the face of the sport, the legacy he built, and the price an athlete pays for greatness.
To The Top (Tout La Haut), Serge Hazanavicius (France)
Scott, a young gifted snowboarder, has one dream: to be number one. He wants to do what no one has ever done: climb mount Everest, and ride the ultimate descent down the Hornbein Couloir. Once in Chamonix, the riders Mecca, he crosses paths with Pierrick, a free-ride veteran turned mountain guide. Scott knows that this is the encounter that could take him to the top.
Under An Arctic Sky, Chris Burkard (Iceland)
The film follows six surfers along with adventure photographer Chris Burkard and filmmaker Ben Weiland as they seek out unknown swell in the remote fjords of Iceland's Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Chartering a boat, they depart from Isafjordur on the cusp of the largest storm to make landfall in twenty-five years. With the knowledge that storms bring legendary swell the crew are optimistic, but face failure when the storm forces them back to shore. Making the decision to carry the expedition on by road they experience the brutality of Iceland's winter and begin to question if searching out the unknown is worth risking their lives for. Despite setbacks the team pushes on and finds that uncertainty is the best ingredient for discovering the unimaginable.
