'Maya and the Wave' Review: Scale Watery Heights with a Top Big Wave Surfer

Although the field of women's athletics has evolved and expanded considerably in recent years, it still seems near impossible, even for the most elite competitors, to obtain more than a tiny fraction of the recognition accorded regularly to star athletes. That equation certainly seems confirmed in "Maya and the Wave," Stephanie Johnes' portrayal of big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira. This festival favorite (which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival ahead of the launch of Doc NYC) has shortcomings in storytelling and contextualization that make it feel like a less than complete picture of the career. of the protagonist to date. Still, the film more than succeeds in its primary goals of providing an inspirational role model as well as plenty of stupendous surf footage, a combination that will captivate most viewers.

It opens with majestic waves almost 100 feet high breaking off the station resort of Nazare on the west coast of Portugal. As well as being her current home, it is where Gabeira, now 35, has had her greatest triumphs and her greatest setback. Born and raised in Rio, she started surfing at 13, competing at 15, then turned pro at 17. She "went from zero to 100 in a year" in endorsements, awards and other high-profile benefits, according to her fellow Brazilian. Carlos Burle, his first great mentor and trainer. Nonetheless, her wisdom was questioned by many when he first put her on a big wave towing crew.

What we see on the screen is always involving. But in her first directorial feature in 15 years, cinematographer Johnes doesn't curate that material with ideal relevance. A timeline of Gabeira's accomplishments is poorly delineated in the edit, so we hear from male surfers doubting her abilities after it looks like she's already proven herself by winning numerous championships. Is this simple sexism, or does the film omit incidents that would explain their skepticism? We also don't hear from other female professional surfers, which not only limits the film's perspective, but gives the distorted impression that the subject remains the sole representative of her gender in the big-wave sphere.

The key event that opponents took as "evidence" was a near-fatal annihilation in Nazare in 2013 — no less than Laird Hamilton publicly stated, "Maya doesn't have the skills to be in those kinds of conditions." It was considered a small miracle that Burle was even able to bring her back to shore alive (if barely), and a long period of hospitalization, surgeries, chronic pain and enforced rest ensued. But while many expected that to be the end, her still intense commitment to training orchestrated a recovery and comeback that eventually found her in Nazare. There, she rode the biggest wave a woman had ever ridden, then broke that record again two years later, via the biggest wave ridden by anyone in 2020, male or female.

Like many professional athletes, Gabeira seems so focused on her sport that there is no little else to read about her seemingly pleasant and unassuming personality – either that or she's just very good at presenting a relatable surface to the ubiquitous cameras. There is limited insight into his personal life, including a privileged family background. (Her father Fernando Gabeira is one of Brazil's most famous political and literary figures, a chapter of whose history became Bruno Barreto's 1997 Oscar-nominated feature drama "Four Days in September.") She finds a professional and private partner in Sebastian Steudtner. , another top big wave surfer. His support is portrayed as a contrast to the association with Burle, another aspect here whose complexities are rather hazy.

It's hard to sort out the contradictions in this platonic relationship from what both parties say, as Gabeira is vague on the subject, while Burle alternately sounds his faithful encore and a surprisingly critical voice in unclearly chronologically-chronological interview excerpts. It's certainly striking when he describes his attributes in not just athletic, but somewhat crude terms - a sexualized look amplified by some of his sports media and endorsement imagery. Many were also surprised when after dragging her unconscious to the beach at Nazare, he simply left her for the doctors and went back...