VIFF 2020 | "Into The Storm" Thoroughly Explores Jhonny Guerrero's Struggle To Become A World Champion Surfer
11/12 ForReel Score | 4.5/5 Stars
Chasing your dreams is never as easy as it seems. For Jhonny Guerrero, pursuing his dream is a steep uphill battle. When he is accepted into a youth surfing academy at the age of 14, he’s excited, emotional, optimistic. He’s appreciative of the opportunity and says “I promise I won’t waste it.” But that’s a proposition that proves challenging to maintain, and Into the Storm does a beautiful and tactful job at documenting why that is.
Into the Storm is filmed over 5 years of Jhonny’s teenage life, chronicling the highs and lows of his journey to become a world champion surfer. In addition to overcoming the intense pressure of performing on the water, Jhonny’s personal life is tumultuous. With his family in poverty, his father in prison, and his social circle becoming a precarious distraction, there are many factors that impact Jhonny’s quest to achieve his goal.
This documentary is engrossing to watch because Jhonny’s lifestyle is far from picture perfect. Some of it is a result of unfortunate circumstances - like the incarceration of his father, or a near fatal drive-by shooting event. But the story is also laced with plenty of disappointment that comes from Jhonny’s own behavior and apparent insecurity with himself. The optimism for Jhonny’s future - particularly among his coaches - seems to constantly be weighed down by the alarmingly unstable nature of his life.
There’s no denying Jhonny’s talent on a surfboard, however, and Into The Storm is excellent at handling the swings between discouraging frustrations and impressive performance. Authenticity in storytelling here distinguishes Jhonny’s experience from the usual formulaic depiction of young talent pursuing a life changing opportunity, and beautiful cinematography elevates this intriguing story into a spectacular documentary experience.
With so many positive and negative factors in play, speculating an array of outcomes is easy to do throughout the course of Into The Storm. But the risk in dedicating so much time and so many resources to capturing this period in Jhonny Guerrero’s life was worthwhile, and the opportunity to experience this story about a boy and his surfboard should not be missed.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 2 | What does this mean?
Available on VIFF Connect for BC Residents until October 7:
Watch an interview with director Adam Brown here!
Learn more about how you can help support barrios where Jhonny Gurrero is from and improve quality of life for people in impoverished neighborhoods at AltoPeru.org.