A short film on gratitude and big-wave surfing featuring João “Massas” de Macedo, “Heaven Is On My Side” is simultaneously a documentary and a meditation on environmental consciousness through Macedo’s experience at the world’s biggest wave in Nazaré, Portugal.

Director’s Vision for ‘Heaven Is On My Side’

“Heaven is on my side” is a short film born of the desire to portray my friend and big-wave surfer João “Massas” de Macedo’s unique relationship with the giant waves of Nazaré, one of deep gratitude and respect, both for the wave and the whole community that surrounds it. Plus he absolutely charges out there, so to get a front-row seat to that, both on competition and non-competition days, was an absolutely incredible opportunity I jumped at. As if shooting big-wave surfing wasn’t hard enough though, we decided to shoot on Super 8 film, to keep the crew to a minimum and also to create a timeless aesthetic that reflected the location and themes of the film. Thanks to all those involved in making this happen.