Wild Goat Surf

The U.K. has Andrea Arnold. The U.S. has Sean Baker. Who is the Canadian equivalent? Turns out it's Caitlyn Sponheimer. Never heard of her? Me neither. She is the writer, director, and star of Wild Goat Surf, a 2023 Canadian film which seems to have gotten overlooked by everyone. This one is about Goat (Shayelin Martin), a young skater-girl/tomboy who lives with her waitressing/hairdressing mother Jane (Sponheimer) and every summer they illegally sublet their apartment and go live in an Okanagan trailer park to make a little extra cash. Goat hangs with the other kids in the trailer park and they get up to some trouble. Part American Honey, part The Florida Project, this coming of age tale breathes like a harmonica in a Neil Young song around a campfire. Everyone seems to have a beer on the go and is always a little tipsy. Shayelin Martin (Goat) is excellent as she dreams about becoming a surfer - her world slowly crashing around her. Caitlyn Sponheimer has crafted a beautiful looking film. Catch this streaming on Crave, though I'm not sure where else you can find it. It's a shame because I think it's a film that deserves a bigger audience. I hope Ms. Sponheimer gets another chance to make another beautiful film.