Concrete Playground

Something big went down not long ago, somewhere near Tapachula. A group of 50 Mexican kids, raised in impoverished conditions and commonly abused, learned to surf. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that, “in the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows”, and this is exactly what filmmakers Stefan Hunt and Jonno Durrant have captured.

The film’s center is the Mision Mexico, a shelter founded by Australian husband-and-wife team Alan and Pam Skuse. As we are shown, the young residents become the first real surfers in the small coastal town. If you don’t already believe in the transformative power of nature, Somewhere Near Tapachula will teach you something worth learning.

The film is touring Australia with 100 percent of profits donated to Mision Mexico children's refuge. It is also showing on 26 February at Berowra Community Centre, Hornsby; 27 February at the Chauvel, Paddington; and 1 and 3 March at Manly Twin Cinema, Manly.