Film society to screen documentary about surf innovator Laird Hamilton in Palos Verdes
The Laird Hamilton biopic “Take Every Wave” screens Wed. Oct. 25 at the AMC Rolling Hills, as part of the South Bay Film Society series. Image courtesy Randy Berler
Laird Hamilton pioneered tow-in surfing on giant waves, shot the Malibu Pier on a stand-up paddleboard during Hurricane Marie, and even started his own line of health-food products. This month, he will appear on the big screen in Palos Verdes.
The South Bay Film Society will screen “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton” at the AMC Rolling Hills on Oct. 25. Randy Berler, president of the film society, obtained a copy of the film after reading a favorable review in the Los Angeles Times.
The film will mark the first time the film society has screened a surf movie, Berler said. The group typically screens foreign language films and indie flicks — “The type of films you’d see at the Laemmle or the Landmark,” as Berler described them — for a South Bay audience that does not always have local access to them.
Over the past several years, the film society has demonstrated demand for the built up a dedicated following, and regularly sells out. Berler said he chose to screen the surf film because it could appeal to a wide range of people.
“This will appeal not only to the surfing community, but also to people who know nothing about surfing, like me,” he said. “It’s a great portrait of a guy who will risk his life, go to extremes, and follow his dream.”
“Take Every Wave” introduces both the accomplishments of a mature Hamilton and a candid look at the struggles of his younger years. Director Rory Kennedy, who previously helmed political documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated “Last Days in Vietnam,” was initially hesitant to take on the assignment.
“With the world falling apart, why would I be doing a film about a surfer?” Kennedy wondered in an interview with Kenneth Turan, a film critic for the Los Angeles Times, when the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
But Kennedy sat for an extended series of interviews with Hamilton, and also spoke with both friends and critics of the surfer. The result is a portrait of a surfer who is simultaneously more famous than any other surfer, save perhaps Kelly Slater, but who has long shunned competitions and contests.
The film society often hosts writers, directors and film-industry personnel for a Q&A following its screenings. Bereler said there is no one booked yet for the Hamilton film, but he is eager to find surfers, photographers or others interested in discussing the film following the screening. To participate, contact Berler at randy@southbayfilmsociety.com.
Tickets for the event are available at: https://www.southbayfilmsociety.com/event/take-every-wave/