The Art Of Destruction: Nazaré

Here’s one for the bored; the stoned, the fans of Moving Art and pretty sounds cut to a frantic, moody ocean.

Big Nazaré isn’t for surfing.

We don’t see the draw to a tapered avalanche. Although, we respect the endeavor.

This short film, Empties, is big Nazaré the way it should be presented – left alone to marvel at.

Left unridden.

Filmmaker, Nuno Dias, has been working on this short as a side project for the past two winters while documenting the big wave scene in Nazarè. In Europe, we had a brief discussion with him about the moving picture embedded above. “I’ve selected the very best empty big wave shots I’ve had a chance to capture,” he told us. “Then I added an original soundtrack specifically produced for this film, the end result is this nine-minute short.”

Stab: Is Portugal a dream for filming, as far as the backdrops, cliffs, coves, reefs and landscapes you can play with?

Nuno: It is! We have a small coastline, but very rich with some of the best waves on the planet. Generally, the light is really good in the morning and also during the last two hours of the day. You have a lot of options to get the perfect shot, just gotta know where to go.

What drew you to filming at Nazaré?

I used to go shoot Nazaré with the bodyboarders when I was 16 years old. When it’s like between 6 to 10 foot, it can produce some of the sickest barrels and ramps you can find! I remember a day where we arrived at the beach very early, it was pumping double overhead a-frames, and by the lunchtime was like 20-30 foot… It is a unique playground and it can be very addictive.

How long have you been making short films for?

I started shooting at the age of 12 but making short films around four years ago. Now, at 23 years old, I’ve been involved and learning with some best surfers and filmmakers, I’ve done a few trips to some really epic destinations and it’s been an incredible journey so far.