Click Here to Watch ABROAD – a short film by John Lynch.

The filmmaker, known for capturing powerful surf footage around the globe, digs deeper in this film to explore how standard tourism can transcend into life-altering experiences for the better. Shot single-handedly by Lynch over the course of a several week stint in Indonesia, the film chronicles the evolution of his journey.

The short film ABROAD stemmed from two desires: one, PENTAX had commissioned me to make a short film of exotic nature with surfing in it. They wanted show that their DSLR cameras were good enough to make films and compete in the market of other top selling DSLR’s.

What are the key elements that make a good “ANTI COMMERCIAL”?

“Anti-Commercial” is an unofficial term that we loosely threw around when we talked about the nature of the piece, based on Darrin’s experience with similar projects.  It’s a misnomer.  We set out to make a documentary film that tells a good story, regardless of the project’s origins.  Our effort was in doing that job well.  In this case, we agreed that to mention PENTAX and the fact that I’m a photographer was essential to the beginning of the film’s story.  This would create an honest context for the story in the first act.

In a piece like this, the most important quality is honesty.  ABROAD works because it’s honest in nature and we made a conscious effort to keep integrity. Be true to your audience and work from a desire to show them something you believe in.  In the case of ABROAD, we decided that we wanted to express a simple and honest message that was from the heart.