Finland 2020, 76 min Director MINNA DUFTON
“Nothing is impossible. That is how dreams are born.” Standing 5’1” tall and nicknamed “Tiny Fighter” by her peers, Joana Andrade became Portugal’s first female big wave surfer (still only one of a small handful of women who surf professionally), a sport still dominated by men across the globe. Fiery and passionate, Andrade has set her sights on the monster, skyscraper-sized waves of Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal. In an attempt to overcome personal fears and past trauma while preparing—both mentally and physically—for the record-setting heights in Nazaré, Andrade enlists the help of Finnish world champion freediver Johanna Nordblad, who shows Andrade that patience is as crucial as pure grit when it comes to riding the waves of the ocean. With glorious white-knuckle cinematography and stirring footage of these elite athletes in training, documentarian Minna Dufton captures the bold determination of one woman conquering her fears, living out her dreams, and breaking barriers. In English, Portuguese, and Finnish with English subtitles