‘The Passenger 2’ – An Ode to Miguel Blanco’s Winter of 2023/24

Two years ago, Miguel Blanco released The Passenger – A Portuguese Winter Story, semi-officially outing himself as an environmental activist. 

Since then, he’s thrown himself into a variety of initiatives — from grassroots beach cleanups to guest-speaking on environmental awareness panels. He also serves as an ambassador for Save The Waves, Hopezones Foundation, and Movimento ALP.

Now, with The Passenger 2, written, produced, and partly directed by Miguel, he declares, “I feel like surfing big waves is a part of my life now.” This not only adds another duty to his main occupation but also a symbolic “Dave” to his full name — self-proclaimed, sure, but he makes a solid case for it in the short film you’re about to watch.

That’s a lot of titles to squeeze onto an immigration form. As both a metaphorical passenger through life and a literal one aboard long-haul commercial flights, Miguel leaves Portugal to swing around and go on some ocean cakes, which he can’t avoid eating too, especially at Jaws and Mavericks. “At times, people think I’m this laid-back guy, but they don’t realize how much time and energy it takes to get that one special wave,” he reflects on his big-wave exploits.

Despite this announcement, The Passenger, along with his SEOTY entry Tropical Popsicle, had already cemented Miguel’s place among a global elite of heavy-water fiends.

In a reflective voiceover, Miguel shares his reverence for his roots and the natural world. “Paddling into heavy waves is a humbling experience. All the power and energy in the ocean make you realize firsthand: nature is so much bigger than us,” he says. “We’re all passengers here.”

The Passenger — filmed entirely in Portugal — kept things local and within driving distance of Miguel’s home in Ericeira. While the sequel takes him farther afield, he just couldn’t resist coming full circle and ending it back home. 

His curtain call ride — at a slab somewhere between Sagres and Moledo — might just be one of the best-ridden waves we’ve seen all year.