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Narrated by Australian actor Russell Crowe, Bra Boys tells the story of one of the most notorious surf tribes in the world. Hailing from the drug inflicted and poverty ridden housing commissions of Maroubra beach in Sydney’s south, this tribe has produced some of the world’s most renowned big wave surfers. In an attempt to escape their tragic upbringing, many found redemption in the ocean and family amongst the tribe brotherhood. Central to the story is the true-life struggle of the Abberton brothers: one charged with murdering a Sydney standover man, another pursuing a professional surf career but charged as an accessory in his brother’s legal fight, another trying to hold the family together and a young brother whose inheritance is his siblings’ notoriety. It is the first full-length feature film project that is told through the eyes of the members of the Bra Boys. It is their story. A unique story. |
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"Bra Boys is part anthropological document, part surf movie, and part Jackass III - some of the stunts the lads pull would
make Johnny Knoxville blanch. It's also a very personal account of a specific place and time. Bra Boys is an insider's
account of a very particular Sydney tribe told with a characteristic humour, street-smarts and bravado. Elder statesman Sunny
Abberton is keenly aware of the attention-grabbing appeal of such raw and rebellious acts of machismo, for spectators and
participants alike. And he uses it to good effect in this, his first feature-length documentary. 3 1/2 STARS" Vicky Roach DAILY TELEGRAPH "Technically as rough-and-tumble as its subject matter, Bra Boys is a rare mix of surf movie, buddy movie and social documentary. While it can't be accused of being an impartial film, it is genuine and heartfelt, tracing the story of the three Abberton brothers. Brought up (if that's the word for it) in a broken Maroubra home with differing fathers, and where heroin was the source of destruction." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Russell Crowe, the film’s erstwhile executive producer, narrates a brief history of the area, highlighting its working class origins, before we’re confronted by the Abberton family, four boys, only three of which are in this film Sunny, Koby and Jai who have a heroin-addicted mother with three different fathers. Their stepfather was a bankrobber. They took refuge with their grandmother and found solace in the surf. It’s not a technological masterpiece but the content is riveting. 4 STARS." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "I would have preferred a more objective look at the content, I think. I know there have been documentaries before that have been made about one's self, sort of autobiographical documentaries. But I thought in this case it was all a bit self-serving and, because there are controversial elements to the whole Maroubra Bra Boys story I just would have liked to see a more objective look. 2 1/2 STARS" David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES |
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"Koby is particularly engaging. The Cleo Bachelor of the Year finalist, who has supposedly had flings with Paris Hilton and
Tara Reid, is dedicated to helping younger surfers from Maroubra realise their dreams. His life has been a tough battle in a
tough part of town - but it's a place and a struggle he refuses to walk away from. The film is, without doubt, a one-sided
and sympathetic view of the gang. The 'larrikin' nature of the boys is often mentioned. But many will find the larrikin
antics of the gang are underplayed. Scenes of boys from rival gangs beating each other up while a complacent mob stands
around watching are hard to take. There's emphasis on the importance of defending the beach; if a neighbouring tribe visits
their turf, the boys go out to meet them, often with baseball bats and knives. 3 STARS" Kirsten Heysen ADELAIDE SUNDAY MAIL "Narrated by Russell Crowe, archival photographs, news film and videos illustrate the struggle the area has had with continual involvement by police, government neglect, council opposition and outside gang attacks. Out of this came a large 'family', with a great responsibility for and reliance on each other. One of the most colourful characters is Ma, who opened her house to all and became a much-loved legend. Abberton captures the extraordinary affection the young men had for her up to her death in 2005." STAN JAMES ADELAIDE ADVERTISER "The Bra Boys is the collective name for the infamous group of surfers who call Sydney's Maroubra Beach home. The film mixes archival footage, a brief history of Maroubra and its underclass origins, with some revealing home video of the "Bra Boys" in action: street fights, party stunts, setting themselves alight and jumping off cliffs into the ocean, and more street fights. There's also some awesome surf action, from Hawaii to Tahiti to the Great Australian Bight, including some hair-raising footage of some of the more out-there board riders tackling a suicidal break on some rocks just down the coast from Maroubra. 3 1/2 STARS." Chris Bartlett QUEENSLAND SUNDAY MAIL "It is a surf documentary, yet one that looks beyond the cliched artistic beauty of the sport to expose the sometimes-troubled tale of its participants and how sticking together has helped them to survive. Shot, written and produced by Bra Boys members and with Russell Crowe lending his voice as narrator, Bra Boys is an authentic insight into the surfing culture of one of Sydney’s toughest suburbs and it is not to be missed. You just can’t beat Aussie accents on film!" BEAST MAGAZINE |
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Koby Abberton Sunny Abberton Jai Abberton Russell Crowe |
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Himself Himself Himself Narrator |