MOMENTS
So stoked to launch our first web serie called “Moments” featuring French surfer Arthur Bourbon surfing his home breaks in the Bask Country and Les Landes.
Here is a short interview we did with Arthur to introduce the project.
SW: Hi Arthur thanks a lot for including Salt Water to this project. We are honoured to finally work with you on a content project. Could you please introduce yourself for our readers who don’t know you yet?
A.B: Hi. I'm Arthur Bourbon, 32 years old. I’m from Guadeloupe Island, I grew up in Le Moule, one of the best break of the island. I’m professional surfer and independent filmmaker and film director.
SW: What is the latest project you worked on?
A.B: My latest work as Film Director is called “Water Get No Enemy”. We started the project in June 2018 with a trip. it started with a short movie focused on surfing and followed by a long movie finished in 2019. We received some great feedback and the movie received some prestigious prizes including the best sound track. But the project is still ON. We are still working on the diffusion, promotion and a list of festivals to broadcast it. Unfortunately with the current situation and this covid19 crisis our plans for summer are still uncertain…
SW: Are you proud of your work?
A.B: I won’t say I’m proud. I find it really hard to be proud of your own work. Of course I’m super happy of the feedback from the public and the different juries. It was a lot of work from post-production, sound design, voice over, production… we didn’t have a lot of budget so it always positive when the results come and when the movie is a success. I hope this is just the beginning and that it will help us to grow, work on more projects in the future.
SW: Any project coming soon?
A.B: I had several projects I was working on before this sanitary crisis. But unfortunately most of them got cancelled… It’s really hard to plan anything, we do’t know how the situation will evolve, when we will be able to travel again, even just surf at home… I’m waiting patiently, trying to learn new things, improve the skills I have on film direction, writing… I have some ideas that just need to be converted to real projects when this crisis will be behind us. Inch’Allah !
SW: Can you talk about this project, “Moments”?
A.B: “Moments” was shot this winter. We had some really good sessions and we shot plenty of sequences with a different visual approach . We wanted to do something more contemplative, with wide shots, slow motion… At the time we were filming we did’t know precisely what we wanted to do. Once again, with all the beach closing after March 17th, the project was stopped before we decided it to finish it. I felt we were missing some sequences to finalise the project and make something really achieved but still I am really happy with the result. Slow motion and sound design were the 2 most important elements in this production, to create a real “immersion” into the images. At the end, we made 6 short episodes to provide your daily dose of surfing !
SW: What is the importance of sound/music in your projects ?
A.B: From my past experiences, I know that sound is very important, maybe even more than images. Sometimes, even with poor images, you can get a pretty decent result if you choose the right sound. Create the perfect music to match with the surfing, design the voice over to tell a great story, integrate sound effects… These are game changers. It’s not an easy job but I’m learning how to work on it !
SW: It was a great winter before the Covid epidemic. One particular session you remember ?
A.B: We had really good sessions this winter, with warm weather, offshore wind and decent swells. Pretty much as last year. I don’t have a particular session in mind, it’s more about this period of the year that I really appreciate. Less people in the water due to the cold, better waves. That makes every session a good moment. I actually prefer winter time over summer. But a virus killed the game… It’s really frustrating but we can’t do anything about it. We need to be patient, waves will still be there in few days. I never stop surfing for so long but this situation teaches us that we need to learn to live without surfing. I started surfing when I was 5 years old and in nearly 30 years I have never been out of the water more than 3 weeks after some injuries. It’s life, there are many things more important and actually what I miss more than surfing is just to be in contact with the ocean.
SW: Do think the current crisis will change the way we live and surf?
A.B: I think it will and I think it must. And not only the way we surf. I think there will be a before and after Covid. Surfing is not my main concern today. I understand some people are disappointed and don’t get why we can go shopping, take public transports to go working and still can’t access the beach and go surfing. But still, I feel there are things that are way more important than just surfing. People need to protest against the government for more important reasons such as ecology or economy. Of course making surfing outlaw is a source of frustrations, but we need to act against the whole system in place to find new alternatives to live more responsibly.
SW: Any surf trip planned after the end of the confinement?
A.B: The end of the lockdown is coming really soon now in France. But I think many things will change. I am positive but I don’t plan any trip. We need to learn how to reduce our impact on the planet. As a surfer, I often travel on the other side of the world to chase perfect waves and it makes less and less sense to me. My favorite trips are those which required the less organisation: a surf trip in the Caribbean using a bike, or just going from an island to another by boat. I’d like to find new ways of travelling and surfing. I read a lot about finding sustainable solutions and I will be really hard to change our habits. Regarding travelling, to become environmentally friendly we would have to stop take the plane, reduce our car usage to maximum 2000kms per year, which means no more than 20 trips Biarritz-Hossegor… It will be hard but we need to evolve towards more sobriety.
“MOMENTS”
CHAPTER I: La Graviere
The first episode was shot in La Gravière just before the lockdown. A classic winter day in Hossegor, pumping waves, dark barrels, good fun. Share the stoke.
Chapter II: La Grande
The second episode of Moments takes place in Biarritz, La Grande. A classic stormy session with Arthur Bourbon.
Chapter II: Labenne
Third episode of Moments. Another beautiful day with Arthur Bourbon in Les Landes.
Chapter IV: Lafitenia
Lafitenia. Twin fin. Winter day. Another session with Arthur Bourbon. Another episode of Moments. Enjoy.
Chapter V: Les Culs Nus
A beautiful sunset session with Arthur Bourbon surfing in Les culs nus. Few hours only before we can surf again these spots in Les Landes.
Chapter VI: La Cote des Basques
6th and last episode of "Moments". A last session at La Cote des Basques with @arthurbourbon. Only few days before going back to the water. Enjoy this last mind surfing.
Shot over consecutive mornings during the long, recent run of North Coast autumn swell, In the Family of Things is Dave Rastovich in his element, doing his thing.