Tree to Board

About This Project

Filmmaker:

Torsten Brinkema

Total Running Time:

0:16:06

Filming Location:

Maine

Filmmaker Origin:

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and currently residing in Waterville, Maine.

Synopsis:

This film follows Filmmaker Torsten Binkema’s journey from tree to board as he shapes a surfboard from sustainably harvested North Atlantic Cedar.

This film to be screened:

8/5/21 – The Androscoggin Program

Special Note:

World Premiere

Filmmaker Bio:

“I have been interested in film my whole life, but have never put all of my energy into one project like this until now. It is an absolute dream come true to be recognized at this venue, and I can’t wait to start working on my next film.

My team was made up of 100% Mainers (or, wannabe Mainers). I’m 21 years old, going into my senior year at Colby College, and see myself living here for a long time. It was very important to me that this project was Maine everything- from the wood to the film locations to the people. Most of the folks that helped make the film were around my age, of course with a bit of wisdom from shaping experts. ”

Three thoughts from the filmmaker:

“This film is dedicated to the Wabanaki people of Maine. I hope that we can learn how to respect our land and use our resources sustainably in order to make better future for all. Too many surfboards are made with bad foams that use toxic materials in production, creating waste and polluting our oceans. As surfers, water lovers, and Mainers, we should make meaningful choices about the materials we use to enjoy this fragile planet of ours.

I made all of the text and titles in the film with charcoal. The title and chapter sequences only make up around 30 seconds of the film, but they took around 10 hours to draw and animate!

All of the still shots were made in film. The 35mm black and white with my grandfathers 35mm Canon AE-1, and the 120mm color with the Mamiya 7. “