A new documentary spotlights Ecuador’s women surfers fighting climate change
- Text by Hannah Bentley
- Photography by Maddie Meddings
Ceibo — Co-directed by Maddie Meddings and Lucy Small, the film focuses on the work and story of Pacha Light, a wave rider who lived off-grid before reconnecting with her country’s activist heritage.
A new surf documentary, Ceibo, which tackles gender inequality and environmental protection in Ecuador, will première in the UK on 26th April.
The film is an all women-led project co-directed by Cornwall-based filmmaker Maddie Meddings and Australian surfer-activist Lucy Small.
Told through the personal journey of professional surfer and activist Pacha Light, Ceibo examines the intersection of surfing, environmental justice, and gender equality.
Born in the Ecuadorian Andes and raised off-grid in a remote cloud forest, Pacha returns to her roots following the death of her father in 2021. It begins as a quest of self-exploration, before growing into a wider exploration of Ecuador’s powerful history of activism – particularly the role of women on the frontlines.
Light said: “To share my personal heritage, learning and embracing what it means to be an Ecuadorian woman throughout the filming of ‘Ceibo’ has been nothing short of empowering. Witnessing this collection of inspiring stories from young women and by young women, gives me hope – in activism, in relationships, in loss, Indigenous wisdoms and the strength of community.”
From land rights battles in the Andes and Amazon to the fight to protect the Galapagos Islands, in Ceibo, Pacha and Small explore personal identity and collective resistance and the ocean as a space of both healing and protest.
Small said: “For so many years growing up as a surfer I had no one to aspire to be because surf films and magazines were filled with male surfers. I am so proud to share this important story that brings to the foreground the compelling and beautiful narratives of women in Ecuador, a country that has achieved so much in the protection of some of the world’s most unique natural wonders.”
Ceibo film premieres at the Finisterre Store on Neal Street, London, before embarking on a UK-wide tour.
Watch the trailer below. For the full national tour schedule, visit the Ceibo’s official website.
Hannah Bentley is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.
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