Film
Maya and the Wave (12A)
Dir. Stephanie Jones, US, 2024, 95 mins. English and Portuguese with English subtitles.
Filmmaker Stephanie Jones’ thrilling documentary follows world-champion Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira, who after a brush with death, battles against monster waves as well as chauvinism in the field of competitive surfing.
This feature length documentary tells the extraordinary story of Maya Gabeira, the first woman to surf the giant wave in Nazaré, Portugal. She nearly drowns – and is ridiculed by the male big wave surfers who dominate the sport. Three spine surgeries and five years later, she surfs the biggest wave a woman has ever surfed. When her accomplishment is disregarded, Maya enlists the help of her fans to fight for recognition – and becomes the first female surfer honoured with a Guinness World Record in big wave surfing.
Maya draws strength from her mother, the fashion designer Yamê Reis, and her father, Fernando Gabeira, whose life in radical politics was depicted in the Oscar-nominated film Four Days in September. With thrilling (and terrifying) surf footage the aquatic landscapes of Maya and the Wave are a cinematic experience.
This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
For detailed information about the film's age rating and content notices, you can visit the BBFC website and search the film title, then scroll down to the “Content Advice” section: www.bbfc.co.uk
Filmmaker Stephanie Jones’ thrilling documentary follows world-champion Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira, who after a brush with death, battles against monster waves as well as chauvinism in the field of competitive surfing.
This feature length documentary tells the extraordinary story of Maya Gabeira, the first woman to surf the giant wave in Nazaré, Portugal. She nearly drowns – and is ridiculed by the male big wave surfers who dominate the sport. Three spine surgeries and five years later, she surfs the biggest wave a woman has ever surfed. When her accomplishment is disregarded, Maya enlists the help of her fans to fight for recognition – and becomes the first female surfer honoured with a Guinness World Record in big wave surfing.
Maya draws strength from her mother, the fashion designer Yamê Reis, and her father, Fernando Gabeira, whose life in radical politics was depicted in the Oscar-nominated film Four Days in September. With thrilling (and terrifying) surf footage the aquatic landscapes of Maya and the Wave are a cinematic experience.
This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
For detailed information about the film's age rating and content notices, you can visit the BBFC website and search the film title, then scroll down to the “Content Advice” section: www.bbfc.co.uk
