In Liberia, surfboards have replaced assault rifles in the hands of the youth.
-
Arthur Bourbon
Liberia has experienced two civil wars that devastated the country between 1989 and 2003 and threw thousands of child soldiers into the horror of armed conflict.
More than fifteen years after the end of the war, it is a whole generation of former child soldiers who are trying to regain a taste for life through the practice of surfing.
Pro surfers Damien Castera and Arthur Bourbon went to meet them and made the film “Water get no enemy” which traces their journey.
Fifteen years after a bloodiest civil war in Liberia which lasted from 1989 to 2003 and resulted in the death of 250,000 people, pro surfers and adventurers Damien Castera and Arthur Bourbon have flown to this country, to meet a generation who tries to rebuild himself thanks to surfing.
An outlet for a youth traumatized by the atrocities of war, now living in a devastated country in search of becoming.
"Surfing to heal wounds, surfing to try to rediscover the carefreeness of a stolen youth but also to transmit to the youngest, the hope of a better life", this is how these two friends present their project.
From there was born “Water get no enemy”, a documentary film which has gleaned several awards and which is now available on VOD on various platforms (iTunes, Apple TV, Google).
For
20 Minutes
, Damien Castera and Arthur Bourbon returned to this human adventure which, from their own confidences, will bring others in the future.
How did this documentary project come about on child soldiers who over time have become child surfers?
Damien Castera: It
all started with the photo of a wave that we had seen in a magazine or on the internet.
As I've been making documentary films around the world for a few years now, but more focused on board sports and nature, we thought that it could be interesting to embark on a project more focused on the human.
We learned about the history of the country and realized that today in Liberia was the emergence of the first generation of surfers after years of war and horror.
We found that the idea of talking about surfing as a tool of resilience for these former child soldiers (but also for future generations who have not experienced it) after years of war was very interesting.
Arthur Bourbon:
This is our first joint project.
We were looking to do something together and when Damien came up with this picture of the perfect wave and we started to research, this documentary project became obvious.
What were your first impressions upon arriving there?
AB:
It's impressive - and yet we made them into fairly poor countries, countries marked by misery and insecurity - but over there it's still really devastated.
The buildings are destroyed and dilapidated, there is still immense poverty.
It is the first time that I have been so impressed by the state of a country and its people.
It is the fourth poorest country in the world, it should not be forgotten.
Afterwards, once outside and in contact with the population, you feel that there is no animosity.
People were happy to welcome us because they knew that we came first to talk about surfing and not to give Liberia a bad image.
And then the arrival of George Weah to power still breathed a breath of hope in the country.
Damien Castera (left) and Arthur Bourbon (right), accompanied by three young Liberian surfers.
- Arthur Bourbon
DC:
The war has been over for 15 years and it's true that suddenly we don't hear too much about it in the media.
And the only times they go there are still to talk about the war, the country's insecurity, etc.
For us it was important to participate in something a little more optimistic, less tearful.
People even asked us if we were part of VICE [which did a report there shortly before] and if we were still going to do a scary report on their country.
Liberia still suffers today from a rather catastrophic image internationally.
AB:
It must also be said that the war sells paper, it makes clicks, suddenly sometimes we tend to fall into sensationalism without trying to dig under the varnish.
Especially since the kids of today have not known this period.
With Damien, we wanted to show that it was the end of child soldiers and that the future was for child surfers.
There is a real contrast between the past and the present.
When you see them on the water, they are full of energy, they have a smile, it's nice to see, especially when you know what some people experienced a few years ago.
The film “Water Get No Enemy” finally available on VOD platforms!
A film in which Damien Castera and Arthur Bourbon go to Liberia to meet former child soldiers.
https://t.co/JVQFYKt90n pic.twitter.com/cgyok6NDDm
- surfsessionmag (@SurfSessionMag) January 25, 2021
What does surfing bring them?
DC:
Surfing, like sports in general, it allows them to be in the moment quite simply and to forget the horrors of the past.
And then with surfing there is an even more powerful thing, beyond contact with nature, is that you dive underwater, with all the symbolism behind that: washing yourself. spirit, reborn.
There is a powerful trick when you enter water.
Even we, with our little daily worries, when there is something wrong, we use the surf and the ocean to forget the problems and calm our spirits.
AB:
We see him in the doc with Augustin, the former child soldier who goes surfing with his children.
With everything he has experienced in the past, it is a real pleasure for him to be able to enjoy surfing with them in complete freedom.
There is a real contrast between the childhood that was stolen from him when we put a machine gun in his hands and that of his children, who have the right to have a fairly normal youth and to have fun like kids their own age.
Was it complicated to get them to talk about the past, to reopen the wounds left by the two civil wars?
DC:
For some it was hard, yes.
It stirs up memories that they prefer to keep buried in their memory, they have experienced things so traumatic that the less they talk about it, the better they are.
This was the case in the beginning with Augustine, who was drafted by the factions and had to do things he regrets today, and who is part of a generation of child soldiers who are very frowned upon in the country.
Many of them are marginalized, they are on their own, some live in supermarket parking lots and have fallen into drugs.
Although they did not decide on their own to go into these wars, most of them were forced to do so, they are still rejected by society.
So inevitably they try as much as possible to hide this past full of horror and remorse.
AB:
When we broached the subject of the war with him, he completely denied it.
It was complicated for us, we wanted at all costs to respect his modesty in relation to that but at the same time we had to broach the subject.
Finally, by dint of exchanging, he ended up giving himself up to us and talking about the difficulties he has in reintegrating into society.
Robertsport Beach, one of the best surf spots in Liberia.
- Arthur Bourbon
At the end of the documentary, we see that you also took advantage of this trip to install water filters in villages. Was it important for you to bring something concrete, in addition to documentaries and their testimonies?
AB:
As we said, Liberia is a country that is still lacking a lot despite the end of the war.
So we said to ourselves that if we could take advantage of this documentary and our trip to help on our own scale, with our little means, that would only be better.
As we knew an association, "Waves for water", created by surfers and who install water filters in villages in disadvantaged countries, we decided to follow the movement.
We therefore raised some money through crowdfunding and thanks to the support of the surfing community, which allowed us to buy and install 70 water filters in seven villages, two schools and a dispensary.
Did you stay in touch with the young surfers we see in your film?
AB:
Communication is a bit complicated, even if since our departure they have had access to smartphones, and we regularly check in with them via social networks.
DC:
It was a pretty crazy experience, very emotional.
And now, this kind of project that links both sport but also a form of humanitarian commitment, that really interests us.
We will think about the idea of developing other similar projects in the future because that gives meaning to our approach.
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War
Civil war
Sport
Child
Liberia
Surf