Haagua Celebrates Indigenous Life and Connection to Surfing

The film was produced by One World Bridge and Native Like Water and, “depicts the timeless connection between Grandmother Ocean and her children – speaking from the past and praying into the future. Birthed and sprung from water, a timeless memory of survival thrusts us forward to a current time. To thrive, surfing. More than a sport, surfing is a re-cognition of cultural practice and a re-creation of an original lifestyle”.

Directed by Octavio Coutiño Aceves and Marc Antony Chavez, the story weaves multiple themes and was filmed across Southern California and Mexico at significant coastal sites of the Kumeyaay, Payomkawichum, Acjachemen, and Nahua territories.

“There is an indisputable pattern of the coastal displacement of Indigenous people across the globe,” says Haagua Director, Marc Chavez. “This film thoughtfully depicts our community of Indigenous leaders, elders, and enterprising youth who are following in the footsteps of their ancestors with that same ambitious spirit that shines a light on the renewed relationship to our oceans and the land that is our birthright.”

Chavez makes his directorial debut alongside Aceves who has worked on projects like El Gordo and EUFORIA, both of which are films that reach beyond the obvious act of wave riding and into tapestry of cultures present in surfing and are certainly worth seeing if you haven’t already. Haagua, which is a blend of Indigenous language that means “water”, is inspired by Chavez’s work over more than 20 years with his organization, Native Like Water (NLW).  

NLW focuses on Indigenous sacred relationship to water and creates scholarships for Native Americans in California and beyond and provides reintroduction to coastal habitats normally frequented by. surfers, beachgoers, and tourists—yet seldomly by the local Indigenous population. Their work bridges surf culture and ocean conservation, while emphasizing the preservation of the storied traditions and deep-rooted culture of Indigenous communities across North and South America. 

Collectively, the efforts of NLW are echoed in Haagua as it seeks to inspire awareness and empathy towards Indigenous life and encourages all of us to reaffirm our connection and love for the ocean, show respect for one another, and rejoice in coastal culture. 

While surfing and humanity certainly share a dark past it is necessary to embrace the hope for a bright future, one where peoples of all backgrounds have fair access to the ocean and a welcome place in the lineup. 

For tickets to Haagua at the LA Skins Film Festival, click here.