About the Film
It was my wife Jen, then girlfriend, who suggested I help her friend Tom Heinrich on a 16mm film project. I met Darrin McDonald who was also helping out. I turned out to be a horrible actor, but I fell in love with the film making experience.
Soon after, Tom and Darrin met my cadre of surfing friends and took to their magnetic, quirky personalities. We decided to document the culture of surfing Lake Erie. We started filming in 2001 and thus began Out Of Place.
In 2007, I wrote Kurt Vincent, a kid with a longboard I had met at the lake and had not seen in years. Kurt just returned from Hawaii, looking for a film project to work on. The film was several years behind schedule and needed more help. Things fell together perfectly. Synchronicity.
We made the front page of the New York Times, followed by a steady stream of media attention. It was for good reason. The story of surfing in Cleveland resonates with people. The media portrayal only scratched the surface of this culture. With Out of Place, we have the unique privilege to shed light on this small, underground community. The film embodies the spirit, preservation and the pursuit of life outside the mainstream.
It is an honor to introduce you to my friends who are the most interesting people I know.
-SD
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