‘Wade in the Water’ doccie examines centuries-old tradition of Black surfing
The film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing's legacy, and honours its current movement.
Picture: Facebook/@David Mesfin Art
Sara-Jayne Makwala King spoke to ‘Wade in the Water’ Director, David Mesfin.
Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.
On Friday (03 May 2024), 'Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture' premiered in South Africa.
According to the synopsis, the documentary "reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing's legacy, and honours its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers."
The film draws inspiration from the global movement for racial justice, sparked by a series of hate crimes in 2020, including the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer.
"Under COVID lockdown I felt the need to express what I felt at the time - George Floyd was very much the tipping point for me but prior to that I've seen a lot of black people being killed in America and it was just like daily you go on the news, there's a new person that's dead and it just kept happening and there was a sense of losing myself and feeling everytime I saw a person die, just felt like I was dying at the same time."
- David Mesfin, ‘Wade in the Water’ Director
"I've been surfing since I moved to the States. Since I was 14, I knew surfing had a healing quality. I knew of an amazing black surfing community in southern California that's been around for quite a long time starting with Nick Gabaldon who was the first black documented surfer and I really wanted to just share that rich story."
- David Mesfin, ‘Wade in the Water’ Director
"A story like ‘Wade in the Water’ really reminds us that we are all humans, that we are all connected and the ocean is one way of opening that conversation."
- David Mesfin, ‘Wade in the Water’ Director
The film will be available to the public on 19 June (Juneteenth) - which is Freedom Day in America.
Scroll up to listen to the full interview.