Exploration is fundamentally about optimism. You have to believe there is something special to find, some experience that will blow you away, make your heart soar and be worth sharing. That's exactly what filmmaker Ben Weiland has built a career off of.
Weiland is known for his documentaries centered on surfing in some of the most remote and coldest frontiers around the globe. His newest film, "Earth" is a testament to his practice as he documents the journey into the obscure reaches of Iceland with surfers Dane Gudauskas, Tanner Gudauskas, Heidar Logi, and Elli Thor. The guys make their way to an unchartered valley via car, snowmobile, and tractor, to camp out on the beach and catch some incredible waves.
Weiland is really into the storytelling aspect of these trips. Who are the characters? What are their challenges and what are the risks going to be? What is going to be unique? And then, of course, how are they getting around? Figuring out how to get to a destination and prepare for a trip is a story in itself. What makes a particular film unique is either the place, the location, the circumstances, the surroundings. Weiland does whatever it takes to show that unique aspect and make a strong statement with those things in mind, and then have the surf be a part of that. Weiland does an amazing job of investing in the circumstances that make this Icelandic trip unique, and highlighting them. Watch the new film below.