Waterman will open in Utah, Idaho and Arizona on April 8 and in California on April 15. To find a theater near you or to learn more about this award-winning movie visit www.watermanthemovie.com.
“WATERMAN brings the story of Duke Kahanamoku, the Father of modern surfing, back to life for a whole new generation to enjoy”
A Waterman is someone that can do everything in the water.
Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku was the ultimate Waterman and his life and story come to life in the new award-winning feature length documentary Waterman from Sidewinder Films and producers Dr. Steven Ungerleider, David Ulrich, Michael Cascio and Chet Thomas. Waterman is brilliant, stylish, and historically beautiful as told through modern day interviews, archival footage, photographs and top-notch reenactments.
Duke Kahanamoku passed away in 1968 but his legacy as both a legendary Olympian and the Father of modern surfing continues to grow thanks in big part to the efforts of Director and Editor Isaac Halisima to tell this mostly unknown story to a larger audience.
Waterman is nothing short of a master class in storytelling and documentary filmmaking with the added bonus of having the movie star equivalent of a Waterman, Jason Momoa, tell Duke’s story through his gravelly voice narration. Momoa, a native Hawaiian, is a Waterman himself and has a deep respect for Duke which truly added to his ability to make us feel the emotion and love he has for Duke and he shares that part of himself with us during this 1 hour and 40 minute film.
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born in 1890 in the Kingdom of Hawaii and by the age of 22 had qualified for the Olympic swim team by establishing the world record in the 100-yard freestyle swim the year before his selection to the U.S. Team. Duke would go on to win 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals before his Olympic Career ended in 1932.
Post Olympics he did a bit of film work as an actor only to be out done a few years later by another US swim team member Johnny Weissmuller as he transitioned from competitive swimmer to the ultimate “Tarzan” as Weissmuller portrayed the title character in a series of 12 movies from 1932-1948 but the best of Duke was yet to come and is the most inspiring part of this film as Duke goes on to use his Waterman skills to actually save people’s lives in heroic efforts of bravery, strength and courage.
On numerous occasions beginning in 1925, Duke performed as a real-life hero while acting on his “kuleana”[koo-lee-ah-nah], his responsibility to put his skills to use, while saving lives that would have been lost to the ocean and its currents, he would take his surfboard beyond the breakers load people on it and surf them in for a quicker way to get to shore. Later the Lifeguard community would make surfboards mandatory pieces of equipment used to perform a rescue.
The absolute care in which the filmmakers treated this subject is completely evident in each frame, photo, interview, or dramatization from Duke’s life. What impressed me the most is how the filmmakers were able to search and find so many scenes from Duke’s life on old black and white footage or the seemingly endless supply of photographs that appear throughout the film all the way to the end, it must have been like finding buried treasure for the filmmaking team.
The reenactments have always stood out to me, and I have seen this film now 4 times. From the crystal clear and refreshing ocean waves to the outstanding costume design I almost found myself looking at the reenactments as if they were part of the archival footage, it is so well done. With Director of Photography Carter Fawcett leading the way producing these high-quality images and Director Isaac Halisima expertly crafting the staging of each scene and situation these beautifully created reenactments cement the interviews and archives together to complete the multimedia look and feel of this outstanding film. Duane DeSoto as Duke is most likely the closest we will get to seeing Duke in our lifetime as Duke is brought back to life through his subtle and sophisticated portrayal of the Father of modern surfing.
This film has the unique ability to change lives through the simple message of Aloha, that we learn in the film is more than just a saying for hello and goodbye it is truly a lifestyle, the way in which you live your life from the inside out.
One of the most eye-opening parts of this film was the way in which Duke handled the overt racism he constantly faced to become a racial pioneer using the spirit of Aloha to overcome hate and adversity and convert it into love and acceptance.
Waterman is one of those rare movies that you don’t want to end, you want more Duke because Duke had that special way of making you feel good about life no matter what you are going through. Duke helped us to see there is always a way to make things better and a way to be kinder. He showed us that Aloha comes from within and can be obtained by each of us.
One of the times I watched Waterman was with BYU Head Football Coach Kalani Sitake and I think he said it best when he stated, “now I want to see the extended version”, once you watch this film, I believe you will feel the same way. Waterman is for all ages and opened April 1st, 2022, in Hawaii and since has quickly become the number one documentary film in America, it will open in Utah, Idaho and Arizona on April 8 and in California on April 15. To find a theater near you or to learn more about this award-winning movie visit www.watermanthemovie.com