Tin Ojeda + Saturdays’ Expencive Porno Movie
A glorious experimental surf film, shot entirely on Super16
People can be wary of experimental cinema, whether that’s for a perceived oblique message or a sense of isolation and confusion. That won’t be the case with Tin Ojeda‘s “Expencive Porno Movie,” because at its core, it’s some of what the director does best: capturing exquisite surf scenes that balance beauty and hyper-energy. The 45 minute film oscillates between waves, wonder and surrealist montage. Shot on Super16, the film has a glorious vintage edge but really the name says it best—this is surf porn. With Ojeda’s cinematic mastery and the production efforts of celebrated lifestyle shop Saturdays Surf NYC, the excitement abounds.
Film is so beautiful. I just love grain, color, latitude. The sound of the camera when I am shooting it.
Argentinian-born Ojeda is a tenured surfer in addition to being a successful filmmaker. “I’ve been working with film for a very long time,” he shares with CH. “I love the format of 16, I absolutely do not like digital. Everything is digital these days. Film is so beautiful. I just love grain, color, latitude. The sound of the camera when I am shooting it.” He lands that desired appearance despite admitting that part of the wonders in working with film are the variance in different stock and the potential for the unexpected.
As for expectations regarding his experimental piece, Ojeda says, “The trailer is pretty much kind of how the film goes. It’s not really a story. There’s this kind of like art, surfing, art whirl.” Artistic scenes buffer the interspace between shots on the waves. Though most concisely, Ojeda observes, “It’s an art experimental project with surfing—with little stories within each scene.”
Despite being so evocative, the name actually directly represents Ojeda’s feelings of the film. “‘Expencive,’ because the movie was really, really expensive. Shooting was expensive. It’s impossible to make a film movie just out of your pocket,” he says. “The porno [mention] is the very exciting part; the surfing. People relate it to sexual and pornographic activity. I see it relating.” Ojeda combines all that with what he refers to as funky pornographic music and inspiration from the ’70s blaxsploitation, grindhouse era of movies.
Saturdays Surf NYC, who’s been encouraging artistic endeavors for some time, came on board when Ojeda was seeking out partners. “They helped me with whatever I needed. They’re executive producers. I’ve known those guys for a long time,” he says. “They’re the raddest guys ever and I love what they’re doing with surfing and lifestyle in NYC.”
“Expencive Porno Movie” premieres at Manhattan’s Village East Cinema on Wednesday 23 July 2014. You can purchase tickets online for $10. It will later be shown in Montauk during the month of August, and doing the festival circuit.
Images courtesy of Tin Ojeda
