“Made with passion and a total understanding of storytelling”

In the heart of the French Para Surf team. Meeting with some atypical athletes during the World championship, just a short period before France got under lock-down. Tension, doubt, confidence and happiness dictated the 10 days spent in California, just before the worlds pandemic. When some "different" athletes go beyond their limit to get medals. A life adventure, a surf adventure.

After watching Believe for the first time, there was no denying this would win our Best Documentary award. From the very first shot, you can tell this is a special film and it doesn’t disappoint.

Before we get to the story that plays out, it’s worth mentioning the incredibly high production quality. From the stunning visuals, music and range of footage, to the precise and meticulous editing. This is a film that will impress viewers of all kinds and leave them wanting more.

Directors Michel Garcia and Mathilde Saint-Arroman take on the huge task of telling the compelling story of the French Para Surf Team in the midst of a national lockdown. What starts off as a classic documentary approach, soon unravels as the entire team and film crew get stuck in California unable to leave, left with the choice of wether or not to continue. The audience are lucky to join in the ride as the events play out.

What’s really impressive here is the amount of footage that directors had to work through and piece together. Managing so much content is an accomplishment in itself and can’t go unnoticed. What Garcia and Saint-Arroman do exceedingly well is letting the story unfold on its own without over producing, something others documentary’s tend to do. Instead, we feel part of the team and close to each individual.

Each athlete is given time within the film and we get a sense of who they are not just as people but also the strong relationships they have with each other. This gets the audience emotionally invested from the beginning and is a main theme throughout.

The visuals are incredibly well captured and shows how to capture a documentary in a more stylistic and creative way. There is a huge mix of filming techniques used within the film and doesn’t feel out of place for the sake of it. It’s clear the Surf team and the filmmakers have a strong relationship, which is shown in how comfortable they are on-screen.

The story itself, which morphed into something else all-together during filming, is compelling and powerful. You can’t help glue yourself to the screen and witness a very special piece of filmmaking, made with passion and a total understanding of storytelling.

We are proud to give ‘Believe’ a solid 5 stars and encourage anyone and everyone to watch it.

— APEX Film Awards