Wispy Dreads South
29.09.2024 Miica Balint
29.09.2024 Miica Balint
A film by Mctavish Surfboards
Director - Matt Ireland
Cinematography - Ben Bagley
Edit & Colour - Ben Bagley & Hunter Thomson
Script - Tyler Walker & Fidel Ruiz-Healy
Voice Over - Tyler Walker
Additional Script - Paul McNeil & Wispy
Original Music Composition - The M1
Sound Design - The M1
Creative Direction - Matt Ireland
Producer - Jacqueline Marcuzzi & Wispy
Additional Footage - Cameron Haylock, Clementine Bourke, Marina Alonso, Hupa Ibrahim, Dhahau Naseem
Wispy surfing the:
Dually - 5'8" x 20" x 2 1/2"
Battler - 9'3" x 22 7/8" x 3"
Vincent - 6'9" x 20 7/8" x 2 3/4"
Mid Twin - 6'7" x 20" x 2 3/4"
[Hey Miica! Hope you are well. We are screening our newest film this Saturday 10th of August at Stone and Wood! It’s a film about Wispy (usually a fair weather only surfer), a swell and his battle with the cold water of New Zealand. Would love for you to come along if you’re around. If you were keen to potentially cover the event and maybe catch up with Wispy at some point next week for an interview if you wanted after watching the film!]
Come I shall.
The screening was packed, both with bodies and glee, and there was a welcome warm breeze smooching midwinter ears. My appreciation of the warmth in a gentle northerly wind was most-likely exacerbated by Dreading South’s footage of the spine-razzling cold weather of (deep) south New Zealand. Upstairs, downstairs, on fold-out lounge-chairs, our eyes glimmered of wave-envy. We giggled, tooted and cheered at this truly joyful and clever little film. The film ended, twenty-two minutes can really fly, and the band Cremefraiche appeared dishing out some seranades to the crowd, though I had to jet. I had greek dishes going cold around the corner for the celebration of a dear friend.
As it goes with screenings at Stone and Wood, the film was projected on a screen that sits atop Paul McNeil’s Dr Seuss-esque mural (I say that with absolute reverance, he is a friend and a talent, talent first.) Fittingly to this film, McNeil also assisted in the script, painting a story alongside Tyler Walker, Fidel Ruiz-Healy and Wispy. As Wispy scored wave, after wave, his van-bunk-mate was Cinamatographer Ben Bagley. In the evenings, Wispy’s four board quiver saved him a sliver beside them, as did the camera gear in Ben’s bed, just.
The following week, Wispy and I caught up on a blustery mid-week afternoon at McTavish. We sat accross from each other under an unopened umbrella, and spoke of the film, his relationship with surfing, his job with Bob (McTavish), his upcoming longboard coaching liveaboard with Josie (Prendergast), his trade (carpentry), his childhood home (South-West Rocks), and the likelihood of another ‘Dreading’ film (likely). To both of our surprise, I guessed the location for this second film before I gave him the chance to divulge.
Excitedly I learnt of some of the secluded breaks of our mountainous Antarctic-nearing relative, which--for purposes of preservation-- I forgot. Wispy was headed to Bondi and then Perigean for the premiers, and demo days, which at Bondi Beach sounds slightly like a recipe for carnage, no?
As I write this:
[How were the screenings? Also! Do you happen to have something you can’t travel without?]
[Bondi and Perigean screenings were good, nice turn out, good response! I usually take a small pair of binoculars, I’ve had them for nearly twenty years. The best for surf checks!]
That is enough from me. Watch the film. I deem it impossible not to enjoy it.