Learning to Breathe–a raw story from a raw place. Photo courtesy of Learning to Breathe
SMASH is one of the coolest things to happen to New York in a long time. And New York is a big place with a lot of things going on. SMASH, as much an acronym as it is a production company, stands for Surf / Movies / Art / Shaping / History. It also stands for the preservation of the roots of surfing and surf culture. It does that through publicly showing a body of work–be it film, art, shaping and/or history–to the greater surf community in order to educate its members on surfing’s roots while staying current and appealing to contemporary surf culture. It serves to represent the evolution of the founder’s projects–one of which being the New York Surf Film Festival. The film festival runs from July 25-28 at various areas throughout the NY area–NYC, Montauk, Long Beach and Rockaway Beach.
Rocky Romano, CEO and Director of more than a couple projects including iTVbranding, Maverickmoments.tv, and The Go Big Project is the Director behind Learning to Breathe. The film will premiere at SMASH Fest and is a raw story about 47-year-old Santa Cruz surfer Anthony Ruffo’s professional surfing and drug addiction. His transition from pro surfer to drug dealer to rehabilitation program leader leaves the viewer to draw their own conclusions. Rocky Romano shows the seedy side to the Santa Cruz surf scene as well as the inspirational side to Anthony Ruffo’s life. It’s sure to be a stirring piece of cinema and one that, if you find yourself in New York, should not be missed.
-Reid Levin, The Inertia Assistant Editor
In your opinion, what makes SMASH unique? Why is it different from other surf film festivals?
Founder Tyler Breuer and SMASH are unique in that they have chosen to highlight some very high-quality, truly eclectic surfing films. This, along with the overall philosophy of celebrating several facets of surfing art and culture, makes SMASH a truly unique festival. I am extremely honored to have Learning to Breathe playing with such amazing films–a selection that I feel is the lineup of the year. We had several surf film festivals inform us that the film was too controversial for their audiences so we were stoked that SMASH had the vision to select Learning to Breathe.
Can you give us a synopsis of your work in this film festival and what went into making it? What made you want to jump into that?
“Learning to Breathe” explores the life of professional surfing legend Anthony Ruffo. Ruffo was a Santa Cruz legend, and he was known for his hospitality and kind nature, but his success as a surfer and rockstar lifestyle lead him into frequent drug use that quickly spiraled into addiction. Because he was such a strong role model, many surfers that we know as champions today ended up following suit, causing widespread drug use in the professional surfing world. Ruffo lost his reputation and his sponsors and had to support his habit by dealing methamphetamine. After having his house raided by the Santa Cruz police, Ruffo faced a five year sentence in state prison. This harsh awakening led him to step away from his addiction and try to heal his reputation and his community. The film is about his journey out of the darkness, and the obstacles he has to face to redeem himself along the way.
I had a difficult time at first with making this film due to its very controversial nature. To step into Ruffo’s life and document this struggle was, at moments, intense, but in the end, I decided that the story was too important not to tell. I made this film for my son Kadin and all of our sons and daughters that need for us to tell the real truths, no matter how hard, to ensure that the younger generation is aware of the severe consequences that drug use and addiction can have. Although these consequences are very real, I did not want to paint a picture of an addict or a dealer as an unforgivable monster. These issues are very human, and I think the film does a good job of showing that.
What makes surf cinema unique?
Surf cinema is unique because there are no preconceived formulas to creating a great film. The industry approach in Hollywood is very formulaic thus constraining the filmmaker’s ability to experiment. Surfing cinema is as unique and eclectic as the people that pursue the passion of surfing.
What is one thing that will blow the minds of this year’s SMASH attendees?
The one thing that I hope will blow minds is the depth in which Ruffo fell into his addiction and criminality. I think the audience will be blown away at the level that this problem reached with some of the best surfers in the world. Several legends of the sport break the code of silence for the first time explaining their own downfalls with drugs. I was extremely grateful and impressed with not only Ruffo, but with all the athletes that stepped up and told the truth. It took real courage to do what they did.
Where do you think surf filmmaking is heading in the future? Paint a picture for us.
I believe the future of surf filmmaking is wide open. My team and I push to create surf stories that can appeal to the frothing grom as well as a mom in the Midwest. I believe that mainstream audiences are ready for surf films, but we just need to allow the formula of the film to appeal to more than just one niche. The element of storytelling is important to that, and it is something I try to incorporate into my films whether it’s through a narrative format or something more abstract.
With recent developments in technology, like the GoPro for example, do you think it will help or hinder surf films? How?
There have been technological developments for as long as film has been in existence. Every new technological advance brings the same question–from the advent of the home video camera to the new POV cameras. In the end, the heart of a great piece of content comes from talented storytellers, and last time I checked, that does not come in the box of your new POV camera. On the flip side, I believe that it will allow for more creative angles and produce talented storytellers that before could not afford to get in the game. I am always stoked for any new advancement in technology as it is the nature of the game and keeps things interesting!
