Wave of Compassion
Jan 06 2007 / Los Angeles, CA
|
||||||||||
"Wave of Compassion" won 'Best Original Score' at the 2006 X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. This film was also nominated for Best Story.
The "Wave of Compassion" chronicles the journey of two lucky sweepstakes winners who travel with some of the best Surfers in the world on an incredible boat trip through the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. The documentary captures this unique voyage and gives an insider look at SurfAid International, a progressive organization determined to improve the health and well-being of the Mentawai people. The film includes some great surf footage and interviews with the surfers who went on the trip. Surf icons like Dave Rastovich, Ben Bourgeois, Strider Wasilewski, Conan Hayes and Keith Malloy rip through the green barrels and give candid interviews, talking the audience on a great ride.
In 1999, Dr. Dave Jenkins chartered a luxury yacht in the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. He had one goal in mind: to find the perfect waves. But beyond the amazing sets, he discovered that Mentawai Islanders suffering and dying from the ravages of malaria and other preventable diseases. Troubled by the inequity of lifestyles and moved by compassion, "Dr. Dave" established SurfAid International. With the support of volunteer doctors and nurses, the global surfing community and most importantly the people of the affected areas themselves, SurfAid International has come to exemplify the healing power of cross-cultural partnerships. "The need is great… we can stop very preventable diseases from stealing children’s lives," states six-time world champion pro surfer, Kelly Slater.
The areas currently serviced by SurfAid have one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. Staggering statistics show that in the worst affected villages 50% of the families have suffered the death of a child before the age of 5 years. The Cause: treatable and preventable diseases, such as malaria, measles, tetanus and diarrhea.
SurfAid was also uniquely positioned to respond to the emergency medical needs of isolated coastal communities during the catastrophic December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Tsunami. "There are people alive today that would have died had it not been for SurfAid’s evacuation teams" explains Morgan Morris, the United Nations, High Commissioner for Refugees.
October 16-29, 2006, Dr. Dave Jenkins and his team of doctors, surfers and two new sweepstakes winners will set-out to document a follow-up to "Wave of Compassion", which will be released on DVD in early 2007.
There is much work that still needs to be done. For more information on SurfAid International, please visit their website at www.surfaidinternational.org.
