''Crystal Voyager'' is a 1973

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

surf film Surf movies fall into three distinct genres: * The surfing documentary — targeting the surfing enthusiast. * The 1960s beach party films — targeting the broader community. * Fictional feature films with a focus on the reality of surfing. ...

directed by

David Elfick David Elfick (born 20 December 1944) is an Australian film and television writer, director, producer and occasional actor. He is known for his association with writer-director Phillip Noyce, with whom he has collaborated on films including ''New ...

. It was filmed by Albert Falzon, written and narrated by surfer, photographer and filmmaker

George Greenough George Hamilton Perkins Greenough (born November 6, 1941) is an influential surfer, known during the 1960s and 1970s for his work in film, and in surfboard design, fin characteristics, and other creations for the aquatic medium. The contributions ...

, who had previously made the 1970 surfing film '' The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun''. The soundtrack was written and produced and performed by G. Wayne Thomas and the "Crystal Voyager Band". The film is structured as a loose biography of Greenough and was shot largely in California. It documents Greenough's search for uncrowded waves, which led to the construction of his 37-foot ocean-going yacht. It also feature Greenough's surfing friends, Californian Richie West and Australian world champion

Nat Young Robert Harold "Nat" Young (born 14 November 1947) is an Australian surfer and author. Surfing career Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Young grew up in the small coastal suburb of Collaroy. In 1964, he was runner-up in the Australian jun ...

. ''Crystal Voyager'' premiered at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

on 5 December 1973 and had a successful three-week run there before opening in other

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

. The theatrical 35 mm version of the film is different from the original 16 mm release and was re-edited by Elfick and Greenough. It became one of Australia's most successful surf films, grossing more than A$100,000 (in 1973) on its initial Australian release, before being picked up by British Hemdale Corporation. ''Crystal Voyager'' gained substantial press on its release, mostly due to its strong reception at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. It had a record-breaking 6-month run in London's West End, where it played a double bill with

René Laloux René Laloux (; 13 July 1929 – 15 March 2004) was a French animator, screenwriter and film director. Biography He was born in Paris in 1929 and went to art school to study painting. After some time working in advertising, he got a job in ...

's animated science-fiction film ''

Fantastic Planet ''Fantastic Planet'' (; , ) is a 1973 animated science fiction film directed by René Laloux. Its allegorical story, about humans living on a strange planet dominated by giant humanoid aliens who consider them animals, is based on the 1957 nov ...

'', grossing more than £100,000. The closing sequence, Greenough's short film ''Echoes'', is generally considered to be the highlight of the film. Filmed with a camera in a waterproof housing strapped to Greenough's back, the sequence is composed entirely of slow-motion footage shot inside the curl of waves, edited to the 23-minute song " Echoes" by

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

. The group reportedly allowed Elfick and Greenough to use the music in their film in exchange for the use of Greenough's footage as a visual background when they performed "Echoes" in concert.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0125713
Australian Screen

1973 films Australian biographical films Documentary films about surfing Australian surfing films 1970s English-language films English-language documentary films