El Mar, Mi Alma (Stephen Jones, 2011): Australia

Reviewed by Sofia Arnbom. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2012.

El Mar, Mi Alma is a documentary about surfing and how important the sea is, both for surfers and for the locals.

Documentaries about surfing is a huge catagory in the Santa Barbara Film Festival. There is always a large number of these kinds of movies shown and my expectations about documentaries are not high or good. But this movie was actually more interesting than usual documentaries about nature and surfing. The purpose of the movie was not from just one angle as many documentaries are when it is about a problem. The movie caught my attention.

It takes place around a surf place down at the coast in Chile. It is not this typical surf movie who just wants to show how good surfers they are. El Mar, Mi Alma is so much more than that. More than just the inner circle of surfers, big waves and fantastic tricks with the board. But it is still a very beautiful movie from the beginning to the end.

Director Stephen Jones interviews  a lot of local people around the area about how the sea is important to them, about their beautiful nature, and how, for example, the factories are destroying it. Some other problems are the commercialized fishing, horrible waste management, deforestation and how the animal breeding has develop are some of the problems that are affecting the people of Chile.

The point is that the sea and nature can not take it anymore and we have to make a change. We have to take action. This is the most common theme when there is a problem to solve. Everyone can do something. The local people are very troubled, but they are not listened to. Both by the government and the corporations.

The movie has a dark message but it is shown in a very good way. We know there is a problem and that we have to do something about it. This documentary is excellent in the meaning that it is only one hour long and between all the serious messages there are some nice shots of surfing, and some happy music. Maybe to say that there is hope and how beautiful the sea is, and that it is important that we do not make more damage to it. The sea is a great power, but it can not recreate itself.

All the beautiful shootings are shown with a matching music. The director heard the music of Manuel Garcia from his hotel room and asked if he could use it for his movie. The Chilean folk music fits perfect for the movie.

One person is interviewed and he says “The sea is my soul, my life, my everything” that summarizes the opinions of the Chilean people who is living there and are affected by the problems. Save the sea!

This is one of the movies I would recommend for everyone to watch. After this movie I really wanted to learn how to surf.