Chacahua is an Afro-indigenous island community just off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. The island is protected as a Marine National Park, surrounded by mangroves. The main source of income for local families is either tourism, artisanal fishing, or gathering pebbles from the shoreline to sell for construction.

 

In Chacahua, Coast 2 Coast worked at the local school with primary students and the team was adopted by one of the local mom’s who put a roof over the heads. Coast 2 Coast facilitated a weeklong photography workshop with students where kids learned to observe their ordinary surroundings in an extraordinary way using GoPros, point-and-shot digital cameras to tell visual stories about their home.

 

Coast 2 Coast is traveling with three of Patagonia films: The Fisherman’s Son, Mile for Mile, and Defined by the Line. At the end of each project, we host a neighborhood cinema night together with local kids and their families. This is an opportunity for Coast 2 Coast youth participants present their photography, videos, or art in front of their family, friends, and fellow community members. It is also an evening for local people to celebrate the beauty of community across generations and spend quality time together watching movies, kids films, and short documentaries  that ignite the imagination. 

 

At the end of the workshop series, participants presented their photography to their community and enjoyed an evening of movies, including The Fisherman’s Son. Since the majority of Coast 2 Coast participants are the sons and daughters of fishermen and ocean enthusiasts, bodyboarding and surfing everyday after school, the film resonated with the children and their families. Apart from thrilling the audience with his ability to surf colossal waves, Ramón inspired the Chacahua community as a relatable man who followed his passion way beyond his humble beginnings yet never forgot his roots and uses his influence to advocate for his community.