Loic Wirth, Filmmaker [Surfing Mag]

posted by Nathan Myers

Quick, name your favorite Brazilian surf movie! [Not you, Brazilian guy, I’m talking to the racist pig Americans on this website.]

Couldn’t name any? Damn, me neither. I feel terrible about it, too. I gotta pay better attention. You do, too. But I think we’re about to catch a break. This kid, Loic, he might be the real deal. His camera work is simply beautiful. He’s young, hungry, total soul of an artist.

Last year Loic broke the mold last year when he earned little known Uruguayan soul-surfer Marco Giorgi a spot on Taylor Steele’s Innersection project (beating out Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson’s sections in the same round), and his final submission to that film was a groovy, heartfelt break from the rest of the full-throttle contestants.

Now he’s about to release his own full-length feature film, Intentio, and judging by the trailer…it’s going to look beautiful. Loic’s definitely got a cinematic eye and a storyteller’s heart. Just 21 years with a Belgium expat father (who moved to Brazil when he met his mom), the kids been traveling the world, introducing himself to pros and picking up clips and shots wherever he could find them. From Uruguay to France to New Zealand and Hawaii, he’s managed to film with guys like Craig Anderson, Gabriel Villeran, Chippa Wilson and more, but I’d surmise that it’s Loic’s talent behind the camera that’s going to shine through in this project. Just watch the trailer:



YAH caught up with him in Rio just before he locked himself in the edit bay to finish cutting the movie. As of yet, the final product is largely unformed…but we have high hopes for Loic. And maybe next time someone asks us about our favorite Brazilian surf movie, we’ll know the answer.

YAH: Quick, who’s your favorite Brazilian surf filmmaker?
LOIC WIRTH: I’m very inspired by Pablo Aguiar’s attitude of doing thing on his own without waiting for anything. And pulling it off. He is a very talented director.



[Weirdos on Wheels by Pablo Aguiar]

What film projects had you worked on before Innersection?
Innersection was the first film project I participate. Before that I only did jobs like webisodes and things like that.

Did participating in that project boost your career?
Innersection? For sure. That was the first time I exposed a video to so many people, and it was magic to see that some people related to it and really like it. I was really lucky that me and Marco Giorgi got the chance to get in a film made by Taylor Steele with so many good surfers and directors in it. I was really happy to be a part of it.

Tell us about your new film. Is there a concept around it?
I don’t think there is a concept, just an idea. The rest will only take real shape when the movie is done. For now, I wouldn’t know how to answer that.

What inspired your approach?
I love the photography in A Brokedown Melody, and also like all the works Joe G does in skate and surfing.

Did you write that narration on the trailer?
Yes, I did.

Nice work. Is that something you’ll do more of in the film?
I’m not sure. I’m actually curious to find out myself.

Why is it in English? Why not Portuguese?
My goal with this movie is to be able to show people some thoughts and messages about things. I want to do it in a way that anyone that wants to will be able to understand, which is impossible, I realize. But English is the international language. A French person or a Japanese person wouldn’t understand Portuguese, but maybe English they will. You know?

What did it take to get this film made? How did you afford to do all this
travel?
This answer is probably a bit cliche, but it took a lot of heart. All the surfers in the movie believed in the project and helped me in the way they could. Some of the trips I would be working for a brand doing something, and would film for my project at the same time with my friends when they where in the same place.

Any surfer you think is going to blow people away on this film?
It’s hard to say. I guess each person has a different way of see surfing, and all these surfers approach the ocean in different ways. So I believe some people will relate to one surfer and others will relate to another.

That’s a total non-answer. Are you tactfully avoiding my question?
I’m not avoiding it, that’s honestly what I think. I don’t care what the surfers think of my answer.

Okay, well who’s scoring the best waves?
I think probably Jean da Silva and Marco Giorgi.

Is there a section that you just can’t wait for people to see?
I never see it that way. I think the movie will be complete as a whole, so one section by itself would not be the same without the others. Does that makes sense?

Only because I realize you haven’t edited yet. Is that what you’re doing now?
Yes. A lot of editing.

What’s that like?
Late nights in my room with lots of Brigadeiro and 7 Belos. [Brazilian candy.]

The age of the DVD is changing as we speak. How do you release a project
like this?
I have nothing certain yet. I’m curious as well. I love the idea of a DVD, rather than a download or something. I like that feeling, But I also like putting online for free. I guess I would love to do both.

And then what…make another?
Time will tell. But of course I would love to.

source: Surfingmag