Liquid Assets

Ruthie and I watched a documentary recently called Sliding Liberia.

I'm admittedly a fan of surf documentaries. Although I've only surfed a few times (even then, it was arguable if my repeated wipeouts and falls could be called "surfing"), I love the culture, music, and art of riding waves.

I caught Step into Liquid about four times during its limited run in the theater. I bought Jack Johnson's The September Sessions and Thicker than Water. I viewed old VHS copies of Year of the Drag-in and a few other docs featuring the Mavericks Crew. And of course, I loved the Endless Summer movies with their old-school-aw-shucks-let's-catch-some-waves narration.

I can say without reservation that Sliding Liberia is the best I have ever seen. First, while other documentaries cut to the natives to break up the footage of riding waves, this film presents the surfing and the environment of post-war Liberia as thoroughly integrated. The trip is an experience built on the people, and surfing takes an appropriate place as a platform for relationships.

I've been working with Liberians for a few months now, and this is the first I've seen of the more beautiful parts of their home country. Typically, you only get to see the footage of sweltering, war-battered cities packed with hungry people. Just like the Philippines where I grew up, Liberia is an abused, but resiliently beautiful land.

As they often do, my thoughts went to the music of the land. Just as the arresting scenery cuts through all the misery and violence that bathes Liberia, the music and culture hold bright spots that could be seeds for rebirth. Here's hoping that these assets will overcome the grave circumstances, and form a hopeful future for this broken country.