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We are like Waves

WE ARE LIKE WAVES is an intimate look into how surfing changes Sanu’s life, documenting the struggles and breakthroughs of becoming a female Sri Lankan surfer.

Along the South Coast of Sri Lanka, surfing is everywhere. Yet only foreigners and local men fill the lineups. Surfing is not seen as a sport for girls. This is a result of cultural and societal expectations that place women inside the household, particularly in rural areas. Young girls are expected to follow certain standards: be kind, look nice, and smile. Attend school, get married, and start a family. Be a housewife, cook, and clean. Most importantly, stay at home and put family first.

The ocean is simply not seen as a place for women. Therefore, like most girls, Sanu grew up watching her brother surf, but never considered it as an option for herself.

When Sanu turned 18, she began working in the kitchen at a surf camp alongside her brother, who worked as a surf instructor.

At the surf camp, Sanu was often invited to try surfing by foreigners, but her fear of the ocean and going against her community’s expectations made her decline the offer again and again. One day, Sanu was asked by her boss and mentor, Sophie, to join her at SeaSisters, a weekly swim and surf program established for Sri Lankan girls to help inspire and empower through surfing. Hesitant but curious, Sanu took the risk.

Sanu must decide if she wants to continue a typical life as a housewife, or risk carving her own path as a surfer. This is a story of finding one’s voice in a sea of expectations.

  • Jordyn Romero
    Director
    Of the Sea
  • Leah de Leon
    Producer
    One Pamilya
  • Kalpa Gandhari
    Story Consultant
  • Amanda Prifti
    Co-Producers
  • Martina Burtscher
    Co-Producers
  • Bettina Lancaster
    Executive Producer
  • Laurel Tamayo
    Impact Producer
  • Katharine Johnson
    Associate Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Female, Surf, Culture
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Sri Lanka
  • Language:
    English, Sinhala
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.4:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jordyn Romero

Jordyn is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, storyteller and creative.

Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she spent most of her childhood outdoors chasing fresh powder in the Winter and floating down the Rio Grande in the Summers.

She received her BFA in Documentary Filmmaking at Chapman University where she discovered a whole new world of stories that could be told from an underwater lens.

Through her creative endeavors, she aims to reclaim the female narrative on screen and amplify the voices of diverse women worldwide in the outdoor industry.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In making this film, I did not want to fall victim to the white-savior complex, “saving” the women of Sri Lanka from the bounds of the patriarchy. It was important to me as a filmmaker to tell the authentic narrative of the female Sri Lankan surfer. Through our participatory approach, Sanu acted as a key crew member when the camera was off, helping us craft and refine her story with her own words and keeping the story true. We were merely the instruments to tell her story in a visual form.
The team spent 5 weeks in Weligama, Sri Lanka and immersed ourselves in Sanu’s world. We laughed catching warm waves with her, ate food alongside her family, and saw with our own eyes the obstacles she has to face just because she loves to surf. Though I come from a privileged background compared to Sanu, we bonded over our mutual struggle to become female surfers. This story is not just Sanu’s, it is the story of most female surfers around the world.
WE ARE LIKE WAVES aims to create a platform for deeper discussions around culture, gender and family expectations in the context of surfing. Bringing together women from different cultures, WE ARE LIKE WAVES aims to connect women in sharing stories, experiences and resources to overcome the unique but similar barriers we face.