The Drifter
Monday 18 October 2009 There are a lot of surf movies out there these days, and many international mags give one away for free on the cover of nearly every issue. But this. This is something a little bit different. Why? It's simple. Soul. But not the soul that the brands try to sell you, says Jarvi. - Okay, there was a tiny bit of irony there (ed)
Some say that DVD’s are pretty old school these days, that the kids are just into 30 seconds of youtube and other such short-burst web-based highlights. Taylor Steele usually brings out the style that has mini-clip after mini-clip of surfers busting the biggest wheelies we have ever seen, so that eventually you find yourself fast forwarding Dane Reynolds and Josh Kerr surfing upside down in the air because you’re getting a bit bored.
‘And now for something completely different.’
Rob Machado’s signature travelogue The Drifter is unique in the world of surf-moving pitchers. It is an unusual, yet funny, look into the life of one of the world’s best surfers as he explores remote Indonesia while slowly giving us hints as to what makes brain tick and why he does the things he does.
Written by surf scribe Nathan Meyers, we follow Rob into remote Indo and the resulting perfect surf, a wonderful yet simple local tribe, and ... ooh ... wait for it ... the vulnerability of self. Choosing to chuck the cell phone and pitch the tent in the middle of nowhere, Rob hangs with the local people and surfs idyllic secret waves, while documenting his encounters and his thoughts.
For the hardcore hey like rip-slash-tear-and-lacerate brigade, this movie will fall short, but for the discerning viewer, the type that doesn’t just pull into, but hangs out, at the Wavescapes Film Festival in Cape Town this December, this is the sort of movie that you can get right into, and that will keep you thinking long after it has finished.
It has been getting good reception and reviews. Rob even got interviewed on CNN and ESPN.
If you’re a fan of smooth surfing by one of the style icons, big fat booming Indo barrels and a thoughtful and intelligent viewing experience, then check out The Drifter at the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
