Very excited to present my latest short film featuring a Tahitian legend, a great surfer and someone who I’ve become lucky enough to call my friend – Vaimiti Teiefitu.
This movie was shot during last year’s season in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, inspired by Vai’s surfing and being, which created the spark to follow her light and try to capture a bit of her bright, playful and while getting to know Vai and me better, going through one of the biggest creative blocks in my life and completing three decades on this planet – this movie was my retreat, my creative sanctuary and a big stepping stone in my life.
The path to completing it had many twists and turns and taught me a lot about myself, creativity and the importance of just being where I am.
I want to thank everyone who was there during the process, including Erik Smiley who wrote this beautiful ode to the ocean and brought my feeling into words. Valentine Dreyfus who brought those words to life with her unique voice, and of course Vaimiti, who shared her love for the ocean and surfing with me and inspired this whole film.
It all started with this vision of the full moon setting over the ocean. The moon had this magnetic almost eerie feeling to it, like something powerful and great is coming.
When I first spoke with Vai about filming together, I told her about this vision but didn’t know where it’s gonna go. We met a few days later at 4 am and got this shot. I immediately knew something great is going to come out of this.
We had a few more filming days during last year’s summer in Santa Teresa, each one more fun than the other. getting to dance and play together between the waves, learning and teaching each other our ways of communicating through them.
This wave was shot on our first water session filming together. It was also the best one we got.
The wave, timing and light were just perfect. It was one of those moments when time literally stops and the only thing that exists is this wave. A wave which travelled thousands of miles to this shore, at this moment and will never repeat itself.
A film by Gal Danon
Surfer – Vaimiti Teiefitu @vaimiti
Poem – Erik Smiley @smileytattoo
Voice over – Valentine Dreyfus @valentinedreyfus
Music – Yehezkel Raz @yehezkelraz
