On June 30th at Art Theater of Long Beach, Deus Ex Machina premiered their newest film, South to Sian. Motorcycles and barrels in Indo were promised, which is all the coaxing most needed in order to devote their Thursday evening to the cultural phenomenon that is the premier of a surf film.
Here’s what went down.
The line for the film began at the theater’s entrance and went on for at least a block. And once inside, the theater was completely packed and housed a diverse mix of guests. You had your LBC locals, the surf starved masses, and of course motorcycle enthusiasts. It wasn’t your stereotypical collection of people gathered for a surf flick, but it still had the standard chorus of hoots and whistles from the back row before the film even started.
The story itself chronicles the adventures of Harrison Roach and Zye Norris as they travel from the southernmost part of Bali all the way to Lagundri Bay. Now, Deus is foremost a motorcycle brand, and that has a strong presence in the film. There are some incredible shots of Roach, Norris and friends tearing up the dunes of Indonesia and some amazing landscapes taken in from atop speeding dirt bikes. The duo then goes on to surf some of Indonesia’s best and most remote waves. Warning: jealously quickly arises upon watching this.
The film is about more than just surfing and riding, however. It shows how living life off the grid and exploring the unknown can be a necessary, even cathartic, break from the mundanity of everyday life.
Deus is a unique brand and South to Sian is a unique take on the traditional Indo-surf-film. And unlike the “see and be seen” atmosphere that can characterize most SoCal surf film premiers, this one felt refreshingly simple. Just a bunch of good vibes and good people gathered to watch and enjoy the hard work of a few creative minds.
