The short film "Olatu baten istorioa", in which the DIPC participates, premieres at the Zinebi festival
On November 12 at 6:00 pm at the Azkuna Auditorium, the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao Zinebi will be the scene of the premiere of Olatu baten istorioa, a short film that explores the connection between the physics of waves and the passion for surfing. The short film stars surfer Kepa Acero and features the collaboration of physicist Maia García-Vergniory, Ikerbasque professor at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) and member of the German Max Planck Institute.
Olatu baten istorioa is a visual and immersive poem that combines real image with animation and tells two parallel journeys: that of a wave from its source to the shore and that of surfer Kepa Acero to meet it, to accompany it in its last breath before fading away. The film addresses the ability of science to predict the path of the energy that shapes the waves, but at the same time reflects how human relationships with nature transcend scientific explanations. The moment surfer and wave meet, the explicable becomes inexplicable, surpassing rational understanding.
The director is Nagore Eceiza, a filmmaker from San Sebastian with more than 20 years of professional experience. She wanted to combine surfing and science with cinematographic language, through the scenery of Newfoundland, Cape Verde and Euskadi.
This interdisciplinary project has its origin in the initiative Donostia. Zientzia Hiria. In 2022 DIPC, the Chair of Scientific Culture of the UPV/EHU and Donostia Kultura launched this project to address issues and emblematic places of the city under the lens of science. This first edition focused on Surf and Science, and included the participation of Kepa Acero and Maia García Vergniory with a presentation entitled Olatu baten istorioa (The story of a wave). From that crossroads, the short film of the same name has seen the light two years later.
The distribution of the short film produced by El Santo Films and Nagore Eceiza will begin in 2025. The production has been possible thanks to the joint effort of the Basque Government, EDP, Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Euskampus and the Chair of Culture and Science of the UPV/EHU.
The screening at Zinebi promises to be a highlight for film, surf and science lovers, offering an experience that goes beyond the screen to immerse the viewer in a fascinating journey. Kepa Acero, the main character, and Nagore Eceiza, the director, will attend the presentation, as well as the artistic members who have participated in its creation. After the screening, those who wish, may meet with them at a nearby location to continue talking about the interests raised by the film.