Customer Reviews

Peel: The Peru Project - A Surf Odyssey

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having been born and raised in Perú and surfed since 1966, I have watched and read everyting that is about surfing in Perú. This film is great, cinematography and the surfing was awsome. Listen to what Magoo de la Rosa says, you will lern about our surfing culture. I was also happy to see that these surfers also went to visit Machu Pichu, they did what all surfer's should do. Not only does Perú have waves every day of the year (never a flat day)all through the coast line, but it is rich in culture.

The surf community loves to show off our country, so surfers are always welcomed.

I am not a surfer, and I've never really been interested in surfing... but my boyfriend grew up in Hawaii and loves it. So he introduced me to this film. Not only is it very artistic, it's also a really beautiful journey through a really amazing place: Peru. The music is awesome, the film is thoughtful, and the passion of each surfer completely resonates. The whole documentary has this kind of calmness to it. It captures the wonder and also sometimes the desolateness that exists in Peru. And the whole film itself is very relaxing somehow. It's more about Peru than surfing.

And girls: the surfers are also really hot.

Just watched it for the first time and now I have to watch it again just to catch a better look at the shots! Great cinematography and great music. Only thing I found that I didn't like was the closing credits. They are a bit blurry and I had to freeze frame them to read the song credits. I loved the song 'Sweet and Lonely' and was able to find find it on the net at I-tunes under Nathan Paine. Time to go check out some of the other artists who's tunes are in this movie. If you surf or just dig great surfers doing what they do best just buy it....

Received quickly - the DVD did freeze a couple of times...had to keep trying to get it restarted, even after cleaning it, but it eventually worked through it. Aggravating, but no big deal.

Excellent movie about the surfing in Peru with some of the culture in it. A lot of differnt spots. A well done movie.

This is more than a surf flick; it's a real movie in the tradition of other Brown family members' work (Endless Summer, Step Into Liquid). I would put it into the travel/adventure genre and on the DVD there's a bonus documentary of the filming of the movie. Both would appeal to anyone who has been to Peru or is contemplating a trip there. It even includes the obligatory trip to Machu Picchu. If you're a surfer and want nothing but non-stop cutbacks, floaters, backside hacks and the occasional aerial, try Hit & Run by Taylor Steele. I can dig it but for a film to show your non-surfing friends without boring them to death - that has all that and a lot more - check this out.

We watched this one as a family last night and enjoyed much of it. It was a solid effort and it carries the same beautiful vibe as the Endless Summer. Fun for the whole family, though it would take just a bit more for me to give it 5 stars (let's be realistic here). I saw it featured for the first time yesterday on the "Summer Picks" table at a local bookstore. I would have picked it up here if I hadn't had a gift card to get rid of. It's worth adding to your collection. So where's the soundtrack?

This video is a little different from the mainstream of the young guns series and whatnot. It goes into talking about the country of Peru itself and its history of the sport (which may surprise you). Of course there is amazing scenery and incredible beaches with no crowds that can just get you all sorts of excited, and then it shows a little more of the traveler/adventurer lifestyle of the surfers taking the trip.

All and all, I really enjoy the video from the laid back music they play to the great surf they show. This is the perfect video after a long surf when all you want is to throw back a beer and take a nap with a video in the background. Enjoy!

I'm not a surfer, but a surfing friend encouraged me to buy this documentary in anticipation of a trip to Peru. He argued that I couldn't very well visit California and not try to understand how important surfing is to many people in that state. I'm glad I listened.

The documentary focuses on several small villages along the long Peruvian coastline, where people fish and body surf as a way of life. A group of US surfers from California and Hawaii join a professional Peruvian surfer, national Peruvian champion Luis Miguel (Magoo) de la Rosa. They all share the surfing and their personal experiences. It amounts to a triumph of laid back cultures coming together in some beautiful scenery.

The shots of the ocean, the mountains, the ruins, all combine to create an idyllic view of Peru. (The film hints, though, that you need to watch your valuables, good advice anywhere in the world of course.) The sound track included "Divine" by Surfact, and somehow the Danish acoustics enhanced the visual impacts perfectly.

Wes Brown's grandfather Bruce Brown made Endless Summer and his father Dana Brown made Step Into Liquid; this film is a worthy addition to the family's accomplishments.

Co-director Thomas Barrack wrote: "The idea to make a film in Peru came about because we really wanted to create an old school feel for our next film. We wanted it to have the texture of a 60's surf road trip, really down to the basics, exploring a new culture and new waves. Wes had just read a book called "Kon-Tiki" which is the anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl's memoirs of his sea voyage from Peru to Tahiti. He theorized that surfing may have originated in Peru and been brought to the Polynesians. This very controversial yet intriguing idea sparked our interest in Peru and as we studied more about the country and its long surfing history we realized it would be the perfect place to embark on a rugged road trip exploration."

They realized their vision perfectly.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Peel The Peru Project stands out as a very well depicted documentary of some of the several small villages on the long peruvian coastline, where fishing and wave surfing are part of the daily life among its people -men and women alike-, and how some expert US american surf sportsmen (from Hawaii and California) share their experiences in this land together with peruvian locals. It is really nice to see the always laidback and respectful north americans enjoying their stay at the sea and the cultural history Perú had to offer to them. And of course, together with the also expert peruvian sportsmen/-women, led by surfing champion Luis Miguel (Magoo) de la Rosa as overall trip guide, they all show us excellent scenes of surfing. Although unfortunately there can be a very few cases of robbery (just very briefly handled in the film), particularly when you go to small villages apart and a bit remote in developing countries, it is just a matter of watching out for our valuable things; actually, and being myself a Peruvian who knows about it, you can feel as safe here as in almost any other part of the world.
This documentary is not about crazy surf manouvers accompanied with crazy hardcore adrenaline-fuelled music; it is a DVD, done with the right feeling, about a part of Perú: its coast, its surfing cultural history, the feeling and savvy of this group of north americans and peruvians when hitting its sea with joy and with great manouvers of course, and even going to experience the karma of the ancient incas culture in the highlands. This ultimately becomes a proof of the excellent work of the producers and editors of this DVD documentary. And, of course, the excellent music there, too. Thumbs up for it.
To complement this review, let me just add that Perú has all kinds of sea waves (I would also like to add Ecuador here, being the Pacific Ocean coastline along all both Ecuador and Perú some of the best for simultaneously relaxing and surfing in America), from 2-ft to 25-ft waves (thus making it also a great place for big wave riders), and for anyone coming to the coast here at anytime of the year, they will always be welcome by consistent beautiful waves and by their people, all of which I am sure will contribute in making them get a unique sporting, cultural and relaxing experience out of this place.