MDFF: Belly of the Beast: A Torquay Story
BELLY OF THE BEAST is a feature-length documentary that reveals the famous but untold story of Torquay, Victoria. This is the small town that went global. A quiet coastal community until the booming surf culture swept in and it swelled to become an international surfing mecca that is home to industry brands and colourful personalities.
The film follows the early roots of the town with the local Wathaurong Aboriginal community and the first beginnings of the surf lifesaving club and the surfing scene that followed. As surf culture grew around Australia and the world, Torquay became a major destination for young people following the promise of the waves.
This rapid expansion flooded the area with new people, and it wasn’t long before a group of Torquay surfers saw an opportunity. Rip Curl and Quicksilver began as local brands that have grown to become some of Australia’s biggest commercial exports, bringing Torquay surfing style to the world. Today, Torquay still hosts the longest-running international surfing competition and the media, BELLY OF THE BEAST has unlimited access to Torquay surfing royalty: the people who steered the transformation, the locals who remember the crazy nights and wild summer days, tell us about the characters and the moments that shaped Torquay. The unexpected successes and the painful loses that built a cultural phenomenon, and the future of a town that is more global than ever and faces new struggles as the surfing dream captures the imagination of a new generation.
Directed by John Teague & Max Miller.
The film follows the early roots of the town with the local Wathaurong Aboriginal community and the first beginnings of the surf lifesaving club and the surfing scene that followed. As surf culture grew around Australia and the world, Torquay became a major destination for young people following the promise of the waves.
This rapid expansion flooded the area with new people, and it wasn’t long before a group of Torquay surfers saw an opportunity. Rip Curl and Quicksilver began as local brands that have grown to become some of Australia’s biggest commercial exports, bringing Torquay surfing style to the world. Today, Torquay still hosts the longest-running international surfing competition and the media, BELLY OF THE BEAST has unlimited access to Torquay surfing royalty: the people who steered the transformation, the locals who remember the crazy nights and wild summer days, tell us about the characters and the moments that shaped Torquay. The unexpected successes and the painful loses that built a cultural phenomenon, and the future of a town that is more global than ever and faces new struggles as the surfing dream captures the imagination of a new generation.
Directed by John Teague & Max Miller.
| Rating | E |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Running Time | 120 |
| Language |
Show
Times
Session times for the new cinema week, commencing each Thursday, will be released the Tuesday afternoon prior
