Over two days, we dedicated time to mentoring the community’s young surfers. The Aella team led a presentation and open discussions on how to save more effectively within the Nigerian economy and leverage technology for financial growth. In addition, two officials facilitated an important conversation on athlete welfare and drug abuse, a rising problem among the youth on the island. These sessions were followed by lively debates among the surfers themselves, where they shared challenges and proposed solutions. The event was graciously covered by NTA and Arise TV, offering a rare and valuable platform for the youth, future stakeholders in the sport and in Nigeria, to come together, be heard, and feel seen.

This was a major milestone for us. With the support of our project and our sponsor, Aella Microfinance Bank, Abraham was able to leave Nigeria for the first time and compete internationally at the Africa Surf Tour in Liberia. It was a significant moment, not just for Abraham and his family, but for the Nigerian Surfing Federation as well. Despite the limited infrastructure and resources available to surfers in Tarkwa Bay, we were proud to help make a dream possible – to go beyond. But even after overcoming countless obstacles, it was clear there was still more to do. For Abraham to succeed and for the community to thrive, continued support would be essential.

We had spent the night at Tarkwa and made significant progress over two days but also lost a camera to the waves. It was a bittersweet moment losing footage and equipment, a gentle reminder of the risks we had signed up for. Meanwhile, things were shifting for the surfers too. Life on the island was growing tougher as the economy worsened, and the story we had initially set out to tell began to drift out of reach, pushed by forces beyond our control. We had to adapt and get more creative. Shooting this documentary started to feel like riding the unpredictable waves themselves. Letting go of control and trusting real life to lead the story became defining parts of the journey

Hauling heavy gear to the island, boldly engaging the community, and capturing raw, unscripted moments pushed our creativity to new limits. It was a crash course in balancing shooting on land and in the water. We started with the low-hanging fruit building rustic sets and conducting honest interviews amidst the waves. The real challenge came when we attempted to film surf scenes for the first time, a process that demanded repeated trial and error. By our second shoot, we had learned valuable lessons about shooting on an island and building stamina.

For Boys on the Brink, we had filmed Abraham, a skilled surfer from Tarkwa Bay – an island accessible only by boat – and learned more about a determined community of young local surfers. Surfing is rare in this part of the world—it’s costly, dependent on imported equipment, specialized training, and of course, the ocean itself. Despite the odds, these young surfers continue to chase waves with courage and heart. Having already built trust with the Tarkwa locals, telling this story felt like the next step but we had no idea it would become our most challenging and ambitious production yet with many twists and turns.