Dan Merkel

”In the Water, Behind the Lens" examines the world of surf photography. Shooting from the water, photographers face many dangers, ranging from being hit by a surfboard, drowning, or being attacked by sharks. This film tells the story of these passionate water photographers, located all over the world, and all in pursuit of the perfect shot.

During the winter of 1975 in Hawaii, surfing was shaken to its core. A group of young surfers from Australia and South Africa sacrificed everything and put it all on the line to create a sport, a culture, and an industry that is today worth billions of dollars and has captured the imagination of the world. With a radical new approach and a brash colonial attitude, these surfers crashed headlong into a culture that was not ready for revolution. Surfing was never to be the same again.