Local surfer and artist ‘stoked’ to debut film celebrating Folly women surfers
By Lorne Chambers | Editor
The first day of summer is Monday, June 20, which is significant when you live in a beach community. But it’s something bigger on Folly Beach. It’s also International Surfing Day as well as the premier of Ear To Ear, the debut movie by local surfer, artist, and now filmmaker Kate Barattini.
Sponsored by Reef, McKevlin’s Surf Shop, and Roots Hummus, McKevlin’s Local Movie Night will include board raffles and free swag as well as two short films, including one from Folly’s own Thomas Brothers and another from Reef. The evening will culminate with the premier of Ear to Ear, a 30-minute film, which is the result of five months of traveling, shooting, and editing for Barattini.
“The film is a representation of the sliding (aka surfing) women of Folly Beach. They are happy people and find in order to maintain their happiness they must spread it and consistently reflect that stoked energy. Ear to Ear exists to carry on and continue making the people we care about most smile,” says Barattini, who has a way of talking that’s just as fun and colorful as her artwork. Her exhibit Animal Shred, which debuted last year, featured a series of 10 paintings that blended together two of her favorite things — surfing and animals.
“I’m enamored with our home and the folks who make it home, says Barattini on why she decided to make a film featuring Folly girls catching waves at various locales. “Sure, a lot of surfing locations in the film aren’t here, but the people surfing them are Folly folk. I have to say that every trip we took to shoot we were welcomed because we were respectful and stoked … Folly Beach has created the good folks I’m talking about.”
A talented visual artist, Ear to Ear is Barattini’s first official foray into the world of film. “I’ve only made a short clip called Cheese on vimeo,” she says. “The making of that only conjured more ideas in my mind and then McKevlin’s offered the chance to make this for their summer local film event. Why not?”
According to Barattini, the filmmaking process was just as rewarding as painting. “Putting together the puzzle of editing a sequence of clips to a song is so much fun! I’d find myself laughing out loud in pure joy because a funny little movement happened with someone’s feet that matched with a diddle in the song. You can’t plan those things, they happen, and its awesome! I’m grateful to get those moments painting as well,” she says.
That doesn’t mean that the process wasn’t challenging for Barattini. Making a surf film, in particular, presents its own set of challenges. “I think producing a film where surfing isn’t involved may be a little easier to schedule, says Barattini. “I had five months to make this film, which meant that I needed waves, waves that were good to look at.”
She said there were weeks when there would be good swell and a plan to shoot would follow through perfectly. “After editing a new sequence I’d feel on top of the world. Although if there wasn’t swell for a week or more I’d start to feel like a complete doofus,” she says. “Its kind of cool to go through something like that in a creative process you can feel it making you stronger and ready to create some more.”
Kate Barattini’s film Ear to Ear will premier as part of McKevlin’s Local Movie Night on Monday, June 20 beachfront at Tides Hotel, located at 1 Center St.
