Film features

Surfers Andrew Cotton and Alastair Mennie are the stars of a new movie made by Plymouth film-maker Anthony Butler.

Andrew, from Croyde in North Devon, and Alastair, from Portrush in Northern Ireland, are big wave surfers who have spent the past two years surfing together as a tow team.

Tow surfing is an extreme sport which involves one surfer on a jet-ski towing the other into the big wave - because the wave is too powerful to paddle into. Once in the wave, the surfer releases the tow rope and rides the wave.

Alastair, 26, and Andrew, 28, (they're known as Al and Cotty), are highly experienced surfers and used to spend a lot of time in California and Hawaii. Alastair spent three years at Plymouth University and was national student surfing champion.

The idea of making a documentary film came about by a chance meeting with Anthony - also a surfer - at an event in Sri Lanka.

Anthony, who set up Mr B Productions, said: "I got speaking to them and went over to Ireland with them. Then, every time they went over there, I went too - I suppose I went eight times or so.

"The film is about the development of their surfing. They had one of the world's worst wipe-puts midway through, and they came out of it, so the film shows how they came back to surf even bigger waves."

The wipe-out is one of the most dramatic bits of the film. Alastair recalls: "I was on the end of the rope, and Cotty was towing me. The rope went slack, I went over the back. It was a 40ft wave and I was out there, with no tow rope or partner.

"I didn't get ashore for 20 minutes, and Cotty was about half a mile out to sea. Someone called a helicopter and he was winched to safety.

Andrew describes tow surfing as "calculated madness" but says they minimise the risks involved: "When I look back I sometimes think, wow, that was too crazy.

"But at the time, you're just focused and we do rely on each other."

Anthony filmed some of the action while on a jet-ski, but the rest is from land. The documentary features the best footage and interviews.

Anthony, 27, has taken time off from his film-making studies at Plymouth College of Art and Design (PCAD) in order to produce this film - and its predecessor, Performing Monkeys.

Performing Monkeys, also a surfing film, was released in 2006.

Driven is 50 minutes long and retails at £12.99.

Visit the Driven website for more information.