Surfing documentary to be screened at Bella Terra

Narrated by Edward Norton, “Bustin’ Down the Door” chronicles the trials of a group of South African and Australian surfers who revolutionized the sport.

The film premieres at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach.

Directed by Jeremy Gosch, the documentary looks into the cultural conflicts during the ’70s at the North Shore of Oahu. Surfers Shaun Tomson, Mark Richards, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, who is being inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame this year, Peter Townend and Ian Cairns all play roles in the film, which is Gosch’s first documentary.

Though it has not been released widely, the film has already made waves throughout the surfing community.

“[It’s] a breakout film,” world champion Kelly Slater said in a news release. “‘Bustin’ Down the Door’ shows what happened when ego and historical problems clashed during the most critical period in our sports history.”

“[It’s] the most profound film ever made about surfing,” said Jim Moriarty, the executive director of Surfrider Foundation, in the release.

— Jack Salisbury