Peruvian charity Surf Cerrito is highlighting the positive effects of surfing through their new documentary, Libertad. Directed by Luke Hill-Norton, the film was screened at The Loft in Falmouth on December 5th.
Based in the community of Cerrito de la Virgen, the charity was created in 2021 when founders Daisy Hill-Norton and Brayan Hilario took a group of three children down to Huanchaco to learn to surf.
They began to grow in numbers, establishing a goal of ‘empowering disadvantaged youth in Northern Peru through surfing’.
Surf Cerrito, with the children learning to surf
Despite being close to the popular surf-tourist city Huanchaco, the town is equipped with less resources and has previously been disconnected from the sport.
The 1997-98 Peru floods left the community with a lot of trauma around the ocean, and the charity is working hard to help the youth there connect with the waves of the nearby Huanchaco, which is a recognised World Surf Reserve.
Libertad focusses on the story of 16-year old and Cerrito de la Virgen resident, Adrián Ruiz Peña, who Daisy describes as ‘one of our young surfers whose life has been transformed through learning to surf with us at Surf Cerrito’.
With no budget and using his own personal filming equipment, Luke went out to Peru for a few weeks after graduating from school. He embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, forming a strong friendship with Adrián despite the language barrier and ‘filmed as much as he could from sunrise to sunset’.
The filming process was an adventure for Luke, that included ‘hanging off the back of motorbikes and swimming against currents with dodgy water housing’.
Adrián Ruiz Peña, 16
In the year since Adrián began learning to surf, he’s become a volunteer for the group, helping other young people discover and embrace the sport.
The creative partnership at the heart of Libertad between Adrián and Luke meant that they were ‘both just as stoked as each other to be working on the film’, and their friendship and closeness in age helped Luke ‘capture the essence of Adrián’ through his relationship to surfing.
The documentary was shown at The Loft, upstairs in Falmouth’s Poly Arts Centre on Thursday 5th December. Libertad was screened to a packed audience and was accompanied by a T-shirt sale and Peruvian cocktails.
The event was hosted by co-director of Surf Cerrito, Mhairi McLeod, who spoke about the significance of this story from Peru being shared at The Loft.
She mentions how the community in Falmouth and Cornwall can draw inspiration from Libertad’s ‘themes of empowerment, resilience, and the transformative power of the ocean’.
Libertad screening at The Loft, Falmouth, 05/12/2024
One of the goals making Libertad was to emphasise the universal impact the sport can have. Mhairi told me of the importance of ‘making surfing more inclusive’ and ‘encouraging communities to reflect on the diversity of their lineups’.
Adrián’s moving experience in Libertad is one that Surf Cerrito hopes can be influential. ‘Cornwall, with its thriving surf culture, could work to provide underrepresented youth greater access to the sea, mirroring Adrián’s transformative experience’.
Working to make surfing more inclusive and ‘fostering a more welcoming and equitable environment’ is a vision Surf Cerrito set out to make a reality in Cerrito de la Virgen back in 2021, and is now one being echoed by Libertad.
We need to be reminded how the ocean is ‘more than a playground for sport’. Mhairi mentions how ‘by respecting the environment, supporting local communities, or mentoring others’, Cornish surfers can work towards this.
Through increasing our understanding and taking steps to deepen our connection with the ocean, Mhairi believes we can ‘ensure the waves remain a source of joy and growth for all’.