A documentary film about one man's quest to catch the only German wave before the ship that produces it is gone forever.
In a time when almost every phenomena in the western world is
documented, and every surfable wave surfed; one wave, in a land without
an ocean, has been left un-ridden and un-documented. Although breaking
in nature, and appearing real, this strangely perfect German wave is
a beautiful mistake of man-meets-nature: its celestial curve is formed
by a giant ship passing by a shallow harbor sandbar. However, this
unusual wave is almost impossible to catch, breaking big enough to surf
about once a week, if that. And like many good things in life, the wave
is ill-fated. The 30 year old ship that spawns this beautiful accident,
will be replaced soon by a new ship that most likely won't make a wave. Surf Berlin
is a documentary film about one man on a winter-long quest to document a
ride on this rare German wave before it, and the ship that creates it,
are gone forever.
A slow-narrative visual-aural experience, Surf Berlin tells the tale of a lone man set out on what he thought to be "a simple task of surfing a single wave," yet he soon realizes it is anything but that. The surfer's harmless idea turns into a kind of spiritual monster, enslaving him to his own obsession and stubbornness. Months pass tired, distressed, and unsuccessful; he finds himself stuck in a repetitive nightmarish life of failure. Long takes, dreamlike music, and personal narrations document a life spiraling out of control. In a film blurring the line between documentary and feature, the wave is his only escape: escape from a reality that has become deeply confused with his dream world.
