Film Review: We Went To The “Yi-Wo” World Premiere

Last night, an anticipatory crowd formed on the pavement skirting Highway One in Laguna Beach, CA. Families with little ones in arms, followed by a more raucous bunch – including a delicate handful of what filmmaker Thomas Campbell described as his “favorite surfers” – flocked to the Rivian South Coast Theater for the world premiere of his latest cinematic creation, Yi-Wo.

Inside, milling under the glint of a massive glass star, the salt-glazed denizens of greater Orange County discussed the time span since Campbell’s last surf film release (16 years) and the undying value of seeing such films in the company of others. Hand-screened merch was oohed-over, as were the battery-powered vehicles filled with N/A beers in Rivian’s re-vamped theater.

The gleaming space, with its skyward ceilings and impeccable millwork, served as an appropriate setting for the fourth child in the T.Moe surf film family. Arguably the most elevated of the group, the new work, pronounced “Why, Whoa”, leans more high art than surf fantasia. Although it could very much be both.

Some of us were little ones ourselves when Thomas’s first feature film, The Seedling, made its debut in at the end of the 20th century. Now, the next generation gets to splash in the cinematic mess he’s made for us. And as we’ve grown, so have the cinematographer’s chops in the art of filmmaking and conveying not just a story, but a feeling — “Yi-Wo” is much more vibration than specific media form.

For anyone who has followed the prolific journey of the Beautiful Loser (Campbell), his work has evolved beautifully over time — and by that I mean that the evolution itself has been a marvel to witness. First there was the gritty realness of his aforementioned debut. Then the playful liveliness of his sophomore, Sprout, between which a jump is visible but not jarring. And then came The Present – a much more polished and slightly more serious take on things, while still maintaining a levity in its narrative message. That being, “let’s enjoy this”. 

Now, in the actual present, we have “Yi-Wo” – a further expansion of Campbell’s prowess and a new echelon of his storytelling style, much of which is left to the viewer to interpret. Keeping with such crypticness, in a brief pre-screening interview, the filmer-director-editor provided tactfully indirect answers to a handful of rather straightforward questions. And yet, applause and whistles peppered every intermittence of the film’s 85-minute run time. 

This is, no doubt, due to the mesmerizing and altogether dreamlike wave riding being executed in full size by Alex Knost, Jared Mell, Lauren Hill, Dave Rastovich, Karina Rozunko, Nick Melanson, and similarly gifted ilk. The footage dredged from a 2014 trip to Morocco, alone, is worth any venue admission. And, in true Thomas Campbell style, a vast array of conceivable size and shaped surf craft have their moment in celluloid.

A wise approach to watching this film would be to take no memory of its predecessors into the auditorium with you. Just like you wouldn’t compare the Beatles’ Help! to Let it Be, or Rothko’s early figurative works to his color field paintings, taking in this film is an opportunity for openness as well as enjoyment. It’s an altogether different experience: one that could be considered almost participatory, imploring the viewer to interpret and analyze its contents for themselves. An equal means of expression and mode of entertainment, executed supremely yet again by Mr. T.Muckluck.

This “celebration of our blessings and an affirmation to the benefits of this pursuit” will continue tonight at La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, where the film will once again be twice screened. Please enjoy.

Information on the full Yi-Wo U.S. premiere tour can be found here.