In a sea of expectations, sometimes we find our own voice...

We Are Like Waves is in many ways exactly the type of short film we expect to see at Indy Shorts, an inspiring and empower motion picture that speaks to the fierce potential of the human spirit and the power of one human being to rise above expectations. 

In this case, that person is Sanu. A young Sri Lankan girl growing up with the usual expectations that follow Sri Lankan girls and women, it is expected that Sanu will finish school, get married, and become a housewife. 

This is, in most ways, her destiny and the expectations of the culture in which she lives. 

Sanu grew up watching her brother surf along the South coast of Sri Lanka, though was well aware that it was only men and foreigners who participated in surfing. When she turned 18, Sanu began working in the kitchen at a surf camp alongside her surf instructor brother. Despite often being invited to try surfing by foreigners at the camp, her fear of the ocean and of violating her community's expectations led Sanu to repeatedly decline. However, one day her boss and mentor, Sophie, asked her to join her at SeaSisters, a weekly swim and surf program established specifically for Sri Lankan girls designed to empower and inspire the girls in the community.

Finally, Sanu took the risk.

We Are Like Waves follows Sanu as she decides if she wants to continue moving toward her expected life as a housewife or take the risk and carve her own path as a surfer. 

Beautifully photographed on the Sri Lankan coast by Jordyn Romero, We Are Like Waves possesses a gentle yet empowering spirit that washes against you like the coastal waves and Alex Mansour's sublime original music. Sanu is an engaging young woman, intelligent and graceful and incredibly well-spoken. She is someone you instantly like and someone whom you instantly starting rooting for in the opening moments of the film. The story itself is rather simply and straightforward, yet it's brought beautifully to life here in a way that captivates from beginning to end. 

Screening as part of the L.A. Times Shorts Docs Program, We Are Like Waves will capture your imagination and inspire your heart. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic