A full house came to see Murray Patterson and Headland bring the rescanned Surf Film Archive images to life. It really was something special. Big warm-hearted energy filled the room and people left with massive smiles and huge stoke. Us included!
Our goal is to have the event and surf films included as part of next year’s 50th Anniversary of the Sydney Opera House. For those who don’t know surf films have a long history at the Opera House. A brief background below.
The Opera House was always a controversial building. It was so expensive they had to hold a lottery to raise the funds. The government told everyone it was going to be ‘The People’s House’, but when it was opened it was quickly captured by the ‘top of town’. This was a problem for the politicians. Surf filmmaker and architect, Paul Witzig, knew Joen Utzon, the architect, and convinced him that surf films would bring in the ‘people’. Joen spoke to the director of the Opera House and every Friday night in Summer became Surf Film Night. Thousands of kids from the beaches and suburbs flocked to the Opera House forecourt. It was a strange scene, the scruffy stoned surfers mixed among the tuxedos, but for a short while the Opera House fulfilled its promise to be the People’s House.
In the meantime, more Surf Film Archive shows coming soon. See you all there.
Jolyon, Hamish & Kade