Bella Vita, Surfing and Pure Italian Style.

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching Bella Vita, Jason Baffa's latest surf film.  I had been looking forward to this for quite some time. Having treated myself to a copy of the DVD from Mollusk while in San Francisco, it received its debut in our house on Saturday evening.

I had anticipated that it would be a great film, based upon Single Fin Yellow and my all time favorite, One California Day.  I wasn't disappointed, not at all.

The film is made beautifully. For a start it is shot entirely in 35mm, giving it a really lovely look and feel, capturing the colours of the Mediterranean and the Tuscany countryside in their full vibrance. The narrative is absolutely lovely, providing an insightful look at so much, surfing related as well as Italian customs and culture. Put simply, the film has got soul.

As for the surfing, well that is everything you would want it to be, plenty of great footage of CDM, styling in the Italian waves and mixing it with the locals. He is joined by Dave Rastovich, as well as the talented Coffin brothers, and of course a whole host of local Italian surfers. They look like a colourful bunch of characters and not only do they surf incredibly well, they also have a huge amount of soul, not to mention enthusiasm, and an underlying passion for the ocean and surfing.

It is a highly crafted surf film, capturing a lot of the aspects of surf culture that I can really connect with, as well as elements of the Italian lifestyle that are really appealing. For it portrays the scene so perfectly, and as with the previous two films from Mr Baffa, it is a true celebration of surf culture, in a real sense.  He really does get it, and skillfully translates the beauty of surfing through his films.

I love this side of surfing, away from the mainstream, the modern identikit high performance movement. This is surfing for me, soulful, stylish and with more than a slight nod to the past, embracing the traditional without being too retro. It is riding waves for the fun of it and the pursuit of doing something super special that connects us with the ocean and sharing the whole experience.  I also loved the fact that the Italian surf scene as portrayed embraces many aspects of Californian surf culture, while adding an whole new twist that is full of rich Italian flavour.

And this is theme is why I liked it so much. The realisation that the individualism that is in short supply with many aspects of surf culture thrives in Italy. This being despite the fact Italy is not exactly known for its quality surf. I have been to the area and had no idea that there was potential for surf along the Tuscany coast, next time I visit I am taking a board!

I really enjoy hearing people's stories and how they fit in to a world that I know and can really relate to. Bella Vita provided this, and the experience left me feeling truly inspired afterwards. I know that the film will become a firm favorite, adding to my collection of go-to surf films.  There for me whenever I need to add some stoke, inspiration, or simply want to watch something that is beautiful. 

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