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Sliding Liberia

SLIDING LIBERIA
(48 minutes) Liberia/USA
Directors/Producers: Britton Caillouette, Nicholai Lidow

Description:
Sliding Liberia follows four young surfers as they travel through the war-torn West African nation of Liberia in search of perfect waves—a journey that soon becomes a quest for understanding. The surfers record the stories of Liberians they meet along the way, people such as Alfred, who became Liberia’s first surfer after finding a body board while fleeing from rebels. Juxtaposing war-torn urban landscapes with images of tropical paradise, the film explores the tension that exists inside every traveler—a desire to connect with new people and places, and an instinct to insulate oneself from the harsh realities of the surroundings. At first overwhelmed, the surfers ultimately reconcile the simple pleasure of surfing with the violent history and daily challenges faced by the Liberian people.

Biography:
Britton Caillouette, director/producer, grew up surfing the beaches of Southern California, until age fifteen, when he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and suffered an amputation of his left leg. While fighting to overcome the disease, he was invited to travel to Eastern Australia with a group of professional surfers who were there to make a surfing documentary. The experience made a lasting impression—raising the courage he needed to remain active while also inspiring his creative future. A student of history and film at Stanford University, Britton was amazed by his friend Nicholai Lidow’s quest for social justice and surf in remote parts of the world.

As a college student, Nicholai Lidow, director/producer, traveled to Ghana to volunteer for a peace building organization. Nicholai found a room for rent in an apartment shared by Liberian refugees. As dozens of other Liberians passed through their apartment seeking shelter, the stories of loss, suffering and hope stayed with Nicholai. When the war in Liberia ended and many refugees returned, Nicholai traveled to Liberia to follow up with his friends and see how they were rebuilding their lives. Nicholai has written articles on Liberia’s politics and waves for a variety of international publications. Nicholai is currently a PhD student in the department of political science at Stanford University.

Contact Information:
Britton Caillouette
1111 Jones St. Apt.9
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.307.0604
http://www.slidingliberia.com

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©2008 United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF)
Earth image © NASA
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