''Surfwise'' is a 2007 American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

about the 11-member

Doc Paskowitz DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

family, which was directed by

Doug Pray Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, cinematographer, and editor who often explores unique subcultures in his films. His work includes ''Surfwise'' (2008), a portrait of the nomadic, 11-member Doc Paskowitz family (often referred to ...

. The film premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

on 11 September 2007 and had its U.S. premiere on 9 May 2008. Paskowitz went to Stanford University Medical School, became an

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

, and espoused a philosophy of holistic health and diet, while raising his large family of eight boys and one girl in a camper with his wife Juliette Paskowitz, and founding a school of surfing.

Critical reception

The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Noel Murray of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cr ...

'' named it the 6th best film of 2008, and Tasha Robinson of ''

'' named it the 7th best film of 2008. The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, holding 98% on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

. ''

Men’s Journal ''Men's Journal'' is an American monthly men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenner ...

'' lists it as one of the best surf films of all time - second only to ''

The Endless Summer ''The Endless Summer'' is a 1966 American surf documentary film directed, produced, edited and narrated by Bruce Brown. The film follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a surfing trip around the world. Despite the balmy mediterran ...

.'' The film's soundtrack is an original composition by John Dragonetti of The Submarines.

References

External links

* * * *
Official websiteDirector's Website
2007 films American sports documentary films Documentary films about surfing Documentary films about families Films directed by Doug Pray Films produced by Graydon Carter American surfing films 2000s American films {{surfing-stub