Chronicling the lead-up to a national surfing contest in Papua New Guinea, Adam Pesce's documentary offers a compelling look at the preparations undertaken by two rival wave-rider clubs in the town of Vanimo. It also doubles as an incisive portrait of a community given to internecine rivalry, petty jealousy and shifting gender politics. While marred somewhat by the griminess of its HD imagery, Splinters nonetheless successfully integrates the sport and an attendant subculture in a way that manages to enhance both, leading to a climactic competition that actually makes you feel something important is at stake.
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