Filmmaker Documents Surfing in the Harsh and Unforgiving Siberian Landscapes

“Traveling brings not only positive moments, it also requires taking on difficulties” says Russian filmmaker Kokorev Konstantin in the fifth episode of his “Surf in Siberia” short film series. The film features himself and a few other adventurous travelers, as they set off the cold and harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean in search of massive swells to surf. “All journeys are like dreams. Some flashbacks, some special memories are bits of the places I visited” he adds.  Describing his “Surf in Siberia” series, Kokorev writes on his Vimeo page  “The movie tells us about the Russian surfers riding in the severe conditions of The Far North. Only a few have tried surfing at this latitude, even fewer have tried it in Russia. The movie was shot over one year at different locations in the Murmansk region. The camera crew has filmed different seasons, conditions and moods of those sites. Having overcome all of the difficulties and having been inspired by the northern spirits, our heroes share their impressions about the places they’ve visited, the past of our country and their childhood.”

Apart from the breathtaking scenes of surfing in the Arctic Ocean, episode 5 also highlights Kokorev’s fascination with old school film cameras in documenting most of his travels. Watching and listening to him explain his passion for travel and photography instantly  desire to take up his hobbies and follow the trail he and his friends are blazing. It might not come in the similar punitive weather condition of Siberia – but definitely a new adventure awaits those who would heed Kokorev’s call to adventure.

Capturing the vast abandoned atmosphere of Siberia as they crawl their way through the Arctic Ocean – one can see the contrast of both the quiet beauty of the place and its unknown ruggedness characterized by extreme weather conditions. Only a few individuals armed with the zest for adventure would dare visit this place to surf its icy waters.

“Right now, Its a wasteland. No wonder. After all, we are talking about the far north, and here, it is far and severe. Indeed, living here is tough” Kokorev narrates on the video. By using deft camera work to produce fast-shifting scenes, kick-ass surfing sequences plus incorporating a pulsating soundtrack, Kokorev accurately captures the lonely yet charming vibe of the Arctic Ocean and the nearby towns in Siberia – compiling all of these moving images to create a short film that is sure to ignite our inner wanderlust. Despite the extreme and solitary environment, Kokorev and his crew shows us that by pushing the envelope to explore and do new things, amazing things are achieved.

Check out some stills from the video or better yet watch the whole short film.