'As Worlds Divide' premiere

As surfers, we explore the world in search of perfect waves, discovering incredible places, people and cultures along the way. One of the most spectacular of these destinations is the Mentawai Islands.

Most who visit Mentawai return home with a sense of euphoria, having surfed the best waves of their lives, carrying the glow of a tropical paradise. Very few, however, find out that Mentawai’s indigenous people are desperately fighting for survival.

In 2008, Australian surfer Rob Henry packed up his life in Melbourne and moved to Mentawai in the hope of finding a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life. What he found instead were a people facing a threat far more pressing than his own.

“I was intrigued by the Mentawai people, their level of freedom and happiness, and wanted to understand what they were doing differently to us.” Henry said. “At the same time, I also found that they had their own challenges: how to maintain their language, culture and identity in the face of increasing commercialisation and acculturation.”

Nine years on Henry is returning to Melbourne to share the Mentawai people's story. “As the remaining tribes-people battle for their culture and land there is still hope from a small group of tribal educators who are making a stand.”

To help the indigenous community raise funds - to build a cultural education centre, implement a ten-year indigenous education program and publish a Mentawai dictionary - Henry and the Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF) are launching a feature documentary film, As Worlds Divide.

Filmed over Henry’s nine years living amongst the Mentawai, the film confronts the impacts commercialisation, forced displacement, and assimilation have had on the Mentawai people.

Given the deep affection surfers have for Mentawai, this is an opportunity for the local community to connect with surfers all around the globe and to share their story. Their request is simple: watch a film, save a culture #wafsac

As Worlds Divide film premiere to be held at Deakin Edge, Federation Square (Melbourne) on March 24th. Tickets available at: www.asworldsdivide.eventbrite.com.au

Comments

MRsinglefin's picture
MRsinglefin's picture
MRsinglefin Thursday, 9 Mar 2017 at 11:32am

$51 for a night out to watch the film, enjoy beers and bite to eat plus chat to others who have been to the Ments on boat trips or land camps sounds like a good night out. Also the opportunity to help save a culture. I'm there for sure. Thanks for the thumbs up.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Thursday, 9 Mar 2017 at 4:18pm

Yeah ,saving a culture is a worthy pursuit.

I'm off to push $51 across the bar and through the pokies at the local RSL to enjoy the twilight of Australian colonialism's golden age.

See you there you mad bastards.

Ontheroad's picture
Ontheroad's picture
Ontheroad Thursday, 9 Mar 2017 at 4:32pm

yewwww... yeah Rob. See ya there...

sasareu's picture
sasareu's picture
sasareu Friday, 10 Mar 2017 at 1:21am

Anailuita Cuka.

Sudah lama tak bertemu! Ini Julian suami Fabiana. Semoga sukses dengan penerbitan film Anda.
Kami ke Rokdog December yang lalu. Kata orang cuka sudah lama tidak kunjungi daerah sireireket. Kemungkinan Anda sibuk menyelesaikan filmnya bukan?

Pemerintah sudah mulai membangun jalan sampai Madobag. pengaruh jalan itu baik dan buruk berhadap masyarakat, lingkungan dan budaya.
Mau tak mau akan ada perubahan besar di daerah itu maka akan ada penambahan kehilangan budaya pada umumnya.

"Mei aku boiki" dan harapan kita akan bertemu suatu waktu ke depan.