The Paskowitz family members, all 11 of them, are on a life adventure in a 24-foot camper. (Courtesy photo)

Doc, wife and nine kids hang 10 in ‘Surfwise’

By Bob Polunsky
Guest Columnist

“Surfwise” is an unconventional documentary about an unconventional man and his unconventional family.
Dorian Paskowitz (affectionally known as “Doc” to his family and friends) really exists, and this is his story. It’s also the story of his nine children, his third wife and the problems they had when learning to live together in a 24-foot camper with very little privacy.

It sounds as if privacy would be unattainable in this kind of set up, but Doc and his family learn to accept one another’s eccentricities as a testament to their own humanity, so their eccentricities give their lives purpose along with togetherness. 

Their group get-togethers consist primarily of surfing, and Dorian Paskowitz takes credit for its therapeutic value. He even says that he introduced surfing to Israel because, as a Jew, he has sympathy and empathy with Israelis.

He also feels a bit self-conscious about escaping the Holocaust by living far away from that cataclysmic event. He was raised in California, attended Stanford University’s Medical School, lived for a while in Hawaii and ministered medical help to people whether they could afford to pay him for his services or not.
He is like Dr. Christian of movie fame, only much more eccentric. His loud, humorous and spontaneous attitude toward sex and nudity attest to that.

He left the so-called civilized world for that 24-foot camper and a life of surfing with his third wife and those nine kids. At times, he has temper tantrums but gets over them.  His children and his wife still love him.

Dorian Paskowitz is a modern day Robinson Crusoe, only he has a surfboard instead of a devoted man Friday to give him a reason to exist and enjoy the pleasures of life.

The film is refreshing for its individuality. Paskowitz is one of a kind, and his children know it. Their comments during interviews tell us that they accept their father’s eccentric behavior as a fact of life.

They know he is a specialist when it comes to enjoying it.

What the movie also says is that Dorian Paskowitz not only loves life but also knows how to impart that love to his children – all nine of them. He thinks living in the wide-open spaces is something to savor, so he teaches his children to respect nature, each other and the joy of surfing.

“Surfwise” is a unique documentary because of its honest emotion and because Dorian Paskowitz is so uninhibited. His personal charm makes his behavior seem completely natural and always very human. The camera captures his zest for life with a sense of enthusiasm that’s contagious.
 
Studio rating: R for language, sexuality and nudity
Bob says: “A one-of-a-kind film” 
3 1/2  Stars