I've long been a fan of skateboarding and surfing, both of which are such a huge part of the unique Southern California culture and vibe. Thus it was a thrill to come across an outstanding video on YouTube featuring renowned Madrid-born-and-raised skater Kilian Martin, directed by established Los Angeles based filmmaker Brett Novak, also a skater himself.
Altered Route was shot at the defunct Lake Dolores Waterpark in the Mojave Desert in 2012 and makes great use of the location. Not surprisingly, the place has been a favorite haunt of vandals and thieves since the permanent closing of the park in 2004; still, it retains a strange, surreal beauty.
Novak has directed several Kilian Martin videos and every one of them is as stunning and poetic as Altered Route: my favorites are Searching Sirocco (2015) and India Within (2013).
Note: Be sure to check out Novak's YouTube channel for his other stellar skater films.
The music chosen for the three clips fits perfectly with the images:
Altered Route: Patrick Watson
Searching Sirocco: also Patrick Watson
India Within: Other Lives
http://www.brettnovak.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBrettNovak/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSXWt3Q5KZPTo_3Xjh-gkVQ
http://www.kilianmartin.net/
https://www.facebook.com/KilianMartinFanPage/
https://www.facebook.com/patrickwatsonofficial
https://www.facebook.com/OtherLives/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Dolores_Waterpark
