Adam Pesce and Danielle Robinson, 1998 alumni of Laguna Blanca School, made a documentary called Splinters that premiered this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. They sold it to Snag Films and ESPN, and it hits theaters on Friday.

Splinters has also been selected as part of the documentary lineup for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year.

Pesce and Robinson returned to their hometown for Tuesday’s screening at the Arlington Theatre. A second screening will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Metro 4.

For some, surfing is a leisure sport. For others, it is a lifestyle, and becoming pro is a dream. For the surfers of Papua New Guinea, surfing is their key to a better life.

In Pesce’s directorial debut, he follows four determined surfers leading up to the inaugural Papua New Guinea national surfing titles.

Two friends, Angelus and Ezekiel, both yearn to be pro surfers but have different perspectives on how to achieve their goal. Sisters Lesley and Susan share the same goal but must also prove that women can make it, too. At the center of the film is the challenge for the surfers to win a chance to train with world-class surfers in Australia. Talent is a must for all of them, but there is more at stake than just surfing glory.

Touching on issues of economic development and women’s roles, Splinters sheds a new light on the sports dream.

— Tara Broucqsault is the director of communications for Laguna Blanca School.