To Be Frank explores authenticity and community in surfing via Frank Paine, a 73-year-old South Bay icon and humble local legend whose life orbits around a two-block stretch of beach. His unforgettable mustache and magnetic spirit are what most first notice, but Frank’s deeper layers expose a depth that might answer some questions that us surfers continually ask ourselves. Surfing, which, for some, becomes lost in isolation, is made whole again with Frank — welcoming, inspiring, kind and committed, with an unwavering passion centered on and springing from Hermosa Beach’s beloved shores.
CREDITSEP, Director, DP, Editor: Anna Wilder Burns
Producer: Morgan Sliff
Art Director: Christopher Miller
Underwater Camera Op: Steven Talens
Supported by 5 Point Film Festival Grant and Pabst Blue Ribbon
Distributed with Outside TV & SURFER Magazine
“In a gorgeously shot and happily passing 11 minutes and 25 seconds, this mini-documentary shows not only the kindness, humor, and easygoing wisdom of its subject, but also the simple beauty of the life he has carved out for himself.”
PRESS
"A moving portrait that celebrates those who hold surfer communities together.”
— FieldMag
Something different. The film hews closely to the sweet routine of a single surfer’s life and the impact his steadfastness has on those around him.
“Frank Paine’s a character. And that’s a good enough story to tell on its own. But the way he invites people into the water with him is the stuff of legends.”
As seen in Whalebone Magazine
