When young filmmaker Doug Gallo decided to document his mother’s swimming group in Hampton Bays, he didn’t yet imagine he would uncover a story that would resonate far beyond the East End.
West Landing, Doug’s debut short documentary, dives into the lives of a group of senior swimmers who find strength and connection in their daily swims to a landmark rock out in the Peconic Bay. The resulting film is a heartfelt portrayal of friendship, resilience, and the ways community can form at any age.
Doug Gallo’s fresh perspective and emotional storytelling have earned West Landing recognition at festivals across the country and abroad, including a Best Short Documentary award in Sicily. He spoke about the inspiration behind the film, the remarkable group of swimmers who brought it to life, and what the journey has meant to him as a first-time filmmaker.
Next up, West Landing will be screened at the Hamptons Doc Fest as part of their Shorts & Breakfast Bites program at Bay Street Theater on December 7th at 10:00 a.m. Click here to learn more.
What inspired you to create West Landing and to focus on this community of swimmers in Hampton Bays?
DG: My biggest inspiration in making this film was my mom! She’s been a part of this group since 2020, and seeing the joy the swims and the group dynamic brought her made me think there’s a good story out there on the Peconic Bay, and luckily enough, there was.
How did your mother’s involvement in the swimming group influence your decision to make this film?
DG: She’d come home here and there and tell little stories of their swims out to the rock, and it made me want to get out in the water to see things for myself. It was the best decision I ever made.
Can you discuss your film background and early influences?
DG: This is my first film, so my background is largely in theatre, which I also love and continue to direct. My biggest film directing influence comes from Nancy Meyers, whose movies about complicated “people of a certain age” are exquisite.
Can you tell us about the rest of your team that helped bring the film and your vision to life?
DG: We’re a group of friends, a mix of wonderful people I met through high school and college, who have been hustling post-grad and were ready to make something that was ours. Honora Campbell, the film’s producer and drone operator, is a lifelong athlete who has made her first foray into film with West Landing. Her perspective as an athlete was integral when shooting and formulating interview questions, and it was a real blessing getting to work so closely with one of my favorite people on the planet. Carolyn Bajzer, our Director of Photography, has a gift behind the camera and always finds the perfect shot. She beautifully captured the group’s energy and rapport. Iman Amini, our jack-of-all-trades 1st Assistant Camera, Gaffer, and Colorist, was our technical rock on set and was incredible with the swimmers. Finn Campbell, our composer, created a score that is beautiful and ethereal, complementing the gorgeous landscapes and the swimmers’ stories. Megan Parr, our Creative Consultant, offered valuable feedback in post-production, watching cut-after-cut of the film, whose notes made a significant impact on the final product.
How would you describe the main message or takeaway of West Landing?
DG: The message I hope West Landing conveys is that community can be found anywhere, anytime, even in one’s later years, in the middle of a body of water.
What was the filmmaking process like—both technically and emotionally?
DG: This was a bit of a technical beast; on our outdoor shoot days, we usually had four cameras running simultaneously: a drone operated by our Producer, a Canon camera on land with our Cinematographer, and a GoPro on one of the swimmers’ heads. I swam along with the group with an iPhone in the water for backup footage. It was wild but deeply rewarding in the edit. During the interview period, emotions were high as every single swimmer told vulnerable stories about the struggles they’ve overcome with the group by their side. It was during the interviews that I found the true heart of the film—a story of community rather than a straightforward sports documentary.
What was the most memorable moment you captured while filming?
DG: It was definitely when I swam to the rock with the group on our second day of shooting outside. To experience the swim with them from pre-swim ritual to post-swim achievement was rewarding and deeply valuable to my sense of why what this group does is so special.
How has it felt to have West Landing featured at festivals like the Hamptons International Film Festival?
DG: Surreal, honestly. Just a few months ago, I was spending hours in my bed or at the local library chugging Diet Cokes and trying to teach myself editing software. I often questioned my sanity during that period and desperately hoped for just one film festival to share the film with its audience. As I write this, we have been accepted to 18 festivals across the world, and during every single screening, I pinch myself. It’s beyond all of our wildest dreams to have had so many people from so many different places “meet” the West Landing swimmers.
What was the experience like premiering your work both locally on the East End and in other cities around the country?
DG: It’s been special to see that this story doesn’t simply resonate with folks on the East End. We didn’t even show the film in Suffolk County until September, and our festival run started in May. We’ve shown in New York, Connecticut, Louisiana, California, and Italy—we even won the Best Short Documentary award at the Corti di Mare festival in Sicily this summer! Audiences have complimented the film’s joyous and inspiring themes, often showing in short film blocks alongside gritty dramas and harrowing documentaries. Showing on the East End has been the most beautiful homecoming, though, and our premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival was one of the best days of my life.
Can you share any upcoming festivals or screenings where the film will appear next?
DG: Up next, we’ll be showing at the Hamptons Doc Fest in one of their “Shorts and Breakfast Bites” programs at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. Our screening is on Sunday, December 7th at 10:00 a.m.
What do you enjoy most about telling stories rooted in real people and local communities?
DG: This was my first film, and what I am most happy about is that this group of swimmers, a group that I’ve grown to love, will now forever have a piece of their lives and histories documented on film that they can pass down from generation to generation. I hope to continue telling stories that honor the legacies of extraordinary people who make more of a difference in their communities than they may realize.
How has growing up or spending time on the East End inspired you and influenced your creative perspective?
DG: It’s impossible not to be inspired when soaking up rays at the most beautiful beaches in the world. I so often feel tiny when I walk on the shores of West Landing or Ponquogue, and am reminded of how much is out there—so much life to live, so many stories to be told. Cheers to making more films on the East End, because it’s dreamy and it’s real and it’s filled with beautiful oddballs.
What do you hope audiences take away from the swimmers’ sense of community and purpose?
DG: I hope audiences of all ages use West Landing as a call-to-action to seek their community, their “people,” no matter their age or ability level. My mom reaching out for an open water swim group on Nextdoor is unbelievably out of character for her, but look what it brought her. Heck, look what it brought me, too.
What was the biggest challenge in creating a short documentary versus a longer format and how did you decide on this format?
DG: I’ve never worked on a feature film before (I hope to someday!), but the biggest challenge in working in this short format was condensing eight hours of footage into fifteen minutes. So many great stories and moments were left on the cutting room floor, which pained me at first, but now that I’ve seen the film 500,000 times, I know it was the right thing to do. To find the heart of a story like this was very difficult, but once I found it, it couldn’t have been more rewarding.
What has been the most rewarding part of the journey so far?
DG: I mentioned it a bit before, but the screening at the Hamptons International Film Festival was the single best day for West Landing. Almost every swimmer came out dressed to the nines. The Views from Long Island shorts block we were a part of was completely sold out. The weather was perfect, and the whole film crew came out to support. It was purely a day of celebration for everyone involved, and the Hamptons community welcomed the film with open arms.
Are you working on any new projects yet or are there topics you are interested in exploring next?
DG: Honora and I are cooking up a few more documentary ideas about other athletes and interesting figures. I’m also interested in writing a short narrative about the brutal ambition of dance marathon participants in the 1930s. Finally, I want to direct more theatre—I miss it.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about West Landing or the swimmers who inspired it?
DG: I said this in our very first Q&A, and I’ll say it here: what you see on screen is what you get. This whacky, loving, and dedicated group is just as cool in West Landing as they are in real life, and they have touched my life in ways I can never put into words, other than: “Thank you.”
To purchase tickets for the screening of West Landing at the Hamptons Doc Fest at Bay Street Theater on December 7th at 10:00 a.m., click here.
