View source for Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture

{{short description|2023 documentary film by David Mesfin}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture {{verified}}
| image          = [[File:Wade in the Water- A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture.png|thumb]]
| alt            = Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture
| caption        = A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture
| director       = [[David Mesfin]]
| producer       = *[[Beyin Abraha]] (executive producer)
*[[Wondwossen D. Dikran]] (producer)
*[[Michael Warner]] (producer)
*[[Bemnet Yemesgen]] (producer)
*[[Kira Linton]] (producer)
| writer         = David Mesfin
| narrator       = 
| starring       = 
| music          = [[Ina Meredi Arakelian]], [[Malte Hagemeister]], [[Kristian Nord]]
| cinematography = David Mesfin
| editing        = [[Byron Iggs]], [[Teferi Seifu]]
| studio         = [https://thedeneditorial.com/ The Den], [https://weareroyale.com/ We Are Royale]
| distributor    = 
| released       = February 12, 2023 (United States)
| runtime        = 1 hour 20 minutes
| country        = [[United States]]
| language       = [[English]]
| budget         = 
| website        = https://wadeinthewaterproject.com
}}
'''Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture''' is a [[documentary film]] Created by [[David Mesfin]], an award-winning creative [[director]] and multidisciplinary [[designer]], [https://wadeinthewaterproject.com/ Wade in the Water project] includes a full-length documentary paired with a series of limited-edition fine art portrait prints and NFTs.	
<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-17 |title=New documentary examines the history of Black surfing, aquatic culture |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/community/our-community/new-documentary-examines-the-history-of-black-surfing-aquatic-culture/509-bcb09cc3-edd9-4410-a52e-fa14bf59d5b2 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=cbs8.com |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Mesfin’s inspiration came in the wake of the global movement for racial justice in the U.S. and beyond following the series of hate crimes in 2020, including the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota. Channeling his creative energy into something that he envisioned would give back to his community, he started Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture. Breaking barriers in the world of film, Mesfin positions Wade in the Water to honor the historical and contemporary relationship between Black people and the ocean, and explore the undying, intergenerational energy of Black waterwomen and watermen. The ultimate intention of the project is to inspire and support the next generation of Black surfers, specifically Black youth, by connecting them to the powerful roots of Black surfing’s legacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first= |date=2024-02-14 |title=Local featured in award-winning film on the history of black surfing |url=https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/local-featured-in-award-winning-film-on-the-history-of-black-surfing/188375/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Paso Robles Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture |url=https://www.documentary.org/project/wade-water-journey-black-surfing-and-aquatic-culture |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=International Documentary Association |language=en}}</ref>


==Synopsis==
Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black [[surfing]]. Honoring the historical and contemporary relationship between Black people and the ocean, Mesfin explores the undying, intergenerational energy of Black water women and watermen.	
<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-12 |title=SBIFF 23 Uncovered surprise {{!}} Wade in the Water |url=https://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/santa_barbara/sbiff_23_uncovered_surprise_wade_in_the_water |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=www.filmfestivals.com |language=en}}</ref>

Breaking barriers in the world of film, the ultimate intention of the project is to inspire and support the next generation of Black surfers by connecting them to the powerful, dynamic, and resilient roots of Black surfing’s legacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-05-06 |title=Black surfers are recapturing a stolen legacy |url=https://lastandardnewspaper.com/index.php/sports/1083-black-surfers-are-recapturing-a-stolen-legacy.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Los Angeles Standard Newspaper |language=en-gb}}</ref>


==Production and film==
Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture, The Documentary (2022) examines the often overlooked history of Africa's 1,000-year-old surf tradition spanning from Senegal to Angola. Piloted by historical experts and community leaders in the BIPOC surfing movement, this cinematic film traverses historical footage and recreations, photography, original illustrations, live-action footage, and interviews.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Douglas |date=2023-02-12 |title=David Mesfin’s documentary “Wade in the Water” inspires audiences to dive deep into the lesser known history of African aquatic culture. [Santa Barbara International Film Festival] |url=https://elementsofmadness.com/2023/02/12/witw-doc/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Elements of Madness |language=en-US}}</ref>

Ushered by the compelling narration voiceover, we begin our journey with Prof. Kevin Dawson from UC Merced as he chronicles the evolution of aquatic African culture from the first written account of surfing in the 1640s to the American context of the 1800s. Moving into the 1900s, we proceed to honor the lives, legacies, and struggles of Santa Monica's pioneering African American surfers with independent historian and heritage conservationist Alison Rose Jefferson, M.H.C.<ref>{{Cite web |title=We Are Royale Provides Opening Titles for Black Surfing Doc ‘Wade in the Water' {{!}} LBBOnline |url=https://lbbonline.com/news/we-are-royale-provides-opening-titles-for-black-surfing-doc-wade-in-the-water |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=lbbonline.com |language=en}}</ref>

Ph.D. Jefferson provides us with an in-depth historical context of the first African Americans to arrive in Santa Monica, as well as their encounters with the Jim Crow laws that legalized and enforced racial segregation in California's coastal cities. We then sit down with Rick Blocker, a Black surfing advocate, [[Sharon Schaffer]], the first African American pro-woman surfer, Tony Corley, founder of the Black Surfing Association in 1975, Greg Rachal, co-founder of Black Surfers Collective, and Vicky Williams, who surfed with Nicolás Rolando Gabaldón in 1950. Nick was the first documented Black and Latino surfer in Southern California.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wade in the water - A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture |url=https://mamiwatasurf.com/blogs/afrosurf/wade-in-the-water |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Mami Wata - African Surf Clothing |language=en}}</ref>

In addition, the documentary features insights from [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1679085/ Selema Masekela], an American television host, sports commentator, actor, singer, and surfer. Introducing us to the pioneers of the past and present generations that have maintained this 1,000-year-old African surf tradition and its spiritual principles, these community leaders are establishing accessible pathways for BIPOC to participate in surfing, women's surf clubs, and public policy that promotes environmental stewardship and protection.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WAR Creates Titles for ‘Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture’ |url=https://www.awn.com/news/war-creates-titles-wade-water-journey-black-surfing-and-aquatic-culture |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Animation World Network |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wade in the Water, a Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture |url=https://www.kcbx.org/community-calendar/event/wade-in-the-water-a-journey-into-black-surfing-and-aquatic-culture-23-08-2023-15-11-05 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=KCBX |language=en}}</ref>

==Fine Art portrait Prints and NFTs==
15 portraits of activists, pioneers, and future leaders in SoCal’s intergenerational BIPOC surf community are featured in the film, overlaid with leaves of the African Fern Pine (Afrocarpus gracilior). Each NFT includes a cover of the song "Wade in the Water" by Reggae artist Luciano, Sahfilli Matturi (Founder of Sofly Surf School), and Sierra Raequel. The NFTs are available on [https://vast.app/ Vast.app], an eco-friendly marketplace.<ref>{{Cite web |title=We Are Royale Makes a Splash with ‘Wade in the Water’ Intro Inspired by African Myth and Basquiat |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/02/we-are-royale-makes-a-splash-with-wade-in-the-water-intro-inspired-by-african-myth-and-basquiat/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=www.animationmagazine.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=“Wade in the Water” Tells the History of Black Surfers |url=https://lasentinel.net/wade-in-the-water-tells-the-history-of-black-surfers.html |website=lasentinel.net}}</ref>

==External Links==
*[https://wadeinthewaterproject.com/ Wade in the Water] Official Website
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21811952/ IMDB]
*[https://www.instagram.com/davidmesfinart/ Wade in the Water] Instagram
*[https://www.youtube.com/@davidmesfinart Wade in the Water] YouTube
*[https://www.tiktok.com/@wadeinthewaterproject Wade in the Water] TikTok

==Reference==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Documentary films]]
[[Category:2023 films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about black surfing]]
[[Category:2023 documentary films]]
[[Category:English-language Documentary films]]