Meet the Filmmaker Paula Odriozola

Paula Odriozola, nickname Pauloski, is a Civil Engineer and works as a Technical Drawing teacher. But her true passion is the sea. Capturing the beauty of the waves is what makes her dream since 2014, the year she got her first underwater camera. She is the director of Ur-Azala, screening at this year’s festival.

Where did you grow up and where do you call home now?

I grew up in a coastal town in the Basque Country, Sopela, which is still my home today.

How did you get started in the surf film industry?

I started water photography based in surfing 8 years ago, through a friend who showed me water pictures of Mentawai crystalline barrels, glassy texture and turquoise waves. After two years I tried recording videos, where I got hooked on the creative process.

What’s different about directing a surf film than a more mainstream film?

I have only directed surf films, so I can't make that comparison. What I can express is that a surf movie is directly connected to the sea, the tides and the wind. Mother Nature is the one who sets the times, which I find fascinating.

What inspired you to make Ur - Azala?

Natural materials and their textures. Concretely, the fusion of skin, wood and water.

How did you come to meet the surfers in the film?

The main role, Andrea Molina, is a very good friend. We made other film 3 years ago, "ANVIL", criticizing the invasive and unsustainable skyscrapers on the coast. This time we had the motivation to make something poetic (we are romantic humans).

What do you hope the audience takes away from the film? 

What I want to convey is a smooth rhythm. A dose of calm. A little piece of poetry in these fast-paced times. And of course, make visible the Flama brand ecological wooden surfboard made in Barcelona by the master shaper Sergi.

Ur - Azala' means 'Water - Skin' and 'Surface' at the same time in Basque. How did you choose the title for this film?

I chose these two words, water and skin, because I am more and more in love with submerging my skin in seawater, and I also wanted to show the naked woman's body without sexualizing it. Being able to show the skin submerged in the sea of algae, fish and rocks. Simply, divine purity.