Selected Film
An Indigenous surf film that celebrates the timeless bond between humanity and the ocean, “Haagua” follows a group of Native American surfers as they revive ancestral traditions, blending cultural resilience with the cultural art of surfing to honor the past and inspire the future. “Haagua” explores the profound bond personified by Great Great Grandmother Ocean (played by Jacinda Townsend). Through voices from the past and prayers for the future, the film traces the enduring memory of survival that connects generations. Surfing emerges not merely as a sport but as a rediscovery of cultural practices and a revival of an original way of life. This cultural regeneration comes to life through the journeys of featured Indigenous surfers, including Andy Nieblas(Acjachemen), David Flores Ramos (Nahua), Kaliko Kahoonei (Hawaiian), Shuuluk Leo-Retz (Kumeyaay), Amon B. Chavez (Nahua-Carib), Reg Macarro (Payomkawichum-Ojibwe), and Marc Chavez (Nahua-Xicano). Together, they embody a modern resurgence of ancestral wisdom, blending tradition with the rhythm of the waves in a story of resilience, identity, and connection.
Duration: 00:15:22
Country of Origin: Mexico, United States, United States
Language: English, Spanish
Director(s): Marc Antony Chavez, Octavio Aceves Coutiño
Writer(s): Marc Chavez, Erika Archaga, Shuuluk Leo-Retz
Producer(s): Native Like Water, Marc Antony Chavez
Key Cast: Shuuluk Leo-Retz, Jacinda S. Townsend
Other Credits: Cinematography: Octavio Coutiño, Alejandro Maytorena, Evan Schell; Music Score: Octavio Coutiño