We Are Not Powerless
Feature Documentary
Ten years ago Muzafar Ali and his wife Nagina escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan. They found themselves living in Indonesia as refugees when Australia ‘stopped the boats’. Determined to do something, they started a small two room school, which soon became the hub of a community and the most successful refugee-led initiative in the world.
We Are Not Powerless tells the story of what can happen when a community refuses to give in and work together for hope, love, and education.
“By telling their stories, this is how we change the world.”
– Muzafar Ali
The Surf Film Archive
Cultural History Initiative
Until the rise of home video in the 80s there was no way to see surf on screen except at local surf film nights. Filmmakers raced around Australia and the world capturing the moments they knew would excite the crowd. Their screenings packed out venues and their images inspired hundreds of thousands of Australians and helped shape Australian culture as we know it.
Today many of these films are fading away in the filmmakers' garages and cupboards.
Our goal is to find, scan and restore Australia and New Zealand’s lost surf films and ensure these seminal images are preserved for future generations.
Over 150 hours of 8, 16 & 35mm footage have been scanned so far.
The Surf Film Archive & Headland Live
Live Show
For the last five years THE SURF FILM ARCHIVE has been digging into the dusty cupboards of our original surf filmmakers to find and restore Australia and New Zealand's lost surf films.
Teaming up with salty legends, HEADLAND, we’ve created a poetic homage to Australia’s early surf-culture with stunning, unearthed and remastered surf film footage set to a mesmerising original soundtrack.
SOLD OUT:
Screenwave International Film Festival 2022
Byron Bay Community Centre 2022
Noosa Festival of Surfing 2023