JBay Screening of Wade in the Water

ABOUT

After an incredible debut in JBay in early June to a full house at the Wave Point Hub, we have decided to host an encore of this powerful documentary film that seeks to break down racial boundaries through the healing power of surfing. This will be our last screening in JBay so see you there!

Join Wade in the Water Executive Director Beyin Abraha, CJay from Wave Point HUB, top SA surfer Joshe Faulkner, and Spike from Wavescape Surf and Ocean Festival, for the last JBay screening of this important documentary about the origins of black surfing and aquatic culture that began 1,000 years + in Africa. 

Director David Mesfin, an award-winning creative director and multidisciplinary designer from California, made Wade in the Water driven by a call for positive change following a spate of tragic events in 2020, including the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mesfin, who traces his roots to Ethiopia and the surf culture of St Augustine in Florida, says that the documentary aims to uplift communities and foster inclusivity and healing.

The path of the film has already taken Mesfin and Abraha, who also boasts Ethiopian ancestry, to Europe and South Africa, where they partner with youth upliftment organisations. In Cape Town, these where the 9 Miles Project, Sentinel Ocean Alliance and the Little Optimist Trust. Through screenings and panel discussions, they have found that surfing is a unique central thread to break down rather than create boundaries, where we find common ground while immersed in the rhythms of the ocean and the beauty of nature.

Abraha said they were grateful for the support they had received in South Africa, saying that it was “a huge milestone for us”. He said that he appreciated that some of the nuances of racial dynamics in America and South Africa were different, but as you will see in the film, there are strong parallels to the road that South Africa has travelled. 

The film is intended to help dismantle racial barriers within surf culture, and for Jeffrey's Bay, this is a unique opportunity to use the healing power of the film to assist in building an inclusive sense of community amongst black and white surfers. 

“While it is difficult to weave the entire experience into a one hour feature film about surf culture, our goal is really to inspire conversation as a vehicle for people to connect with each other," Abraha said.

To add some local stoke to the evening, we will also be screening the short biographical film Everything to Me with Joshe Faulkner. We can’t wait to meet and share these films with you on Wednesday 19 June at the Wave Point Hub in Jeffrey's Bay.

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IMPORTANT: Tickets are free, but please RSVP so we can cater for numbers. Tickets are free if you cannot afford to pay, but if you can, please consider the sliding scale of options to add bucks to your free ticket, starting with the cost of a movie ticket. This will really help cover the travel, accommodation and marketing costs incurred before and during our trip to JBay. THANKYOU.

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RUN OF SHOW

Doors open 6:30pm

Message from the organisers 7:00pm

Films start 7:10pm

Everything to me (10min)

Wade in the Water (63min)

Discussion with filmmaker, Wave Point Hub and local surfers 8:25pm.

Event finishes 9pm

DIRECTIONS