For Sierra Leone’s first female surfer, surfing means hope

A Million Waves — Daniel Ali and Louis Leeson’s poetic film features Kadiatu Kamara, the only female surfer in Sierra Leone, for whom surfing is an escape from the devastating effects of civil war and the Ebola epidemic which swept her country.

Kadiatu Kamara, or KK, is the only female surfer in Sierra Leone at just 19-years-old. When her father died two years ago, KK was left to face the Ebola epidemic alone, but she found escape, and hope, in the surfing community of Bureh Beach, a coastal village just south of the country’s capital of Freetown.AMW_Frame8AMW_Frame9

Daniel Ali, one of A Million Waves’ directors, found the community after speaking to a friend who had just moved to the country for work. “My friend told me about a small surf club a couple of hours away from him. After looking into Bureh Beach Surf Club, learning about the community aspects they promote and generally the good work that they are striving to achieve there, it seemed like the obvious choice for my next project,” Daniel says.AMW_Frame1AMW_Frame10

“Sierra Leone suffered on a huge scale because of the 1991–2002 civil war they experienced, and the country was only just getting back on its feet when the Ebola epidemic broke out. putting a halt to the progress the country was slowly starting to achieve,” he says. “What I particularly wanted to make a film about was how surfing could be used as a form of escapism, allowing the locals to take themselves away from the stresses and worries of everyday life, exaggerated by the legacy of civil war and Ebola.”AMW_Frame13AMW_Frame14

The result is A Million Waves, a film which portrays a resilient young woman who, with her surfboard in hand, stands strong, always ready to dive headfirst into the oncoming waves. In this way, KK is presented as a symbol of Sierra Leone’s future, rising out of its traumatic past. As she herself says, “I feel so different on the wave, like I’m the real KK.”

Find out more about A Million Waves.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Sport

Is the UK ready for a Kabaddi boom?

Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi — Watched by over 280 million in India, the breathless contact sport has repeatedly tried to grip British viewers. Ahead of the Kabaddi World Cup being held in Wolverhampton this month, Kyle MacNeill speaks to the gamechangers laying the groundwork for a grassroots scene.

Written by: Kyle MacNeill

Culture

One photographer’s search for her long lost father

Decades apart — Moving to Southern California as a young child, Diana Markosian’s family was torn apart. Finding him years later, her new photobook explores grief, loss and connection.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Culture

As DOGE stutters, all that remains is cringe

Department of Gargantuan Egos — With tensions splintering the American right and contemporary rap’s biggest feud continuing to make headlines, newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains how fragile male egos stand at the core of it all.

Written by: Emma Garland

Culture

Photo essay special: Despite pre-Carnival anxiety, Mardi Gras 2025 was a joyous release for New Orleans

A city celebrates — Following a horrific New Year’s Day terror attack and forecasts for extreme weather, the Louisiana city’s marquee celebration was pre-marked with doubt. But the festival found a city in a jubilant mood, with TBow Bowden there to capture it.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Sport

From his skating past to sculpting present, Arran Gregory revels in the organic

Sensing Earth Space — Having risen to prominence as an affiliate of Wayward Gallery and Slam City Skates, the shredder turned artist creates unique, temporal pieces out of earthly materials. Dorrell Merritt caught up with him to find out more about his creative process.

Written by: Dorrell Merritt

Music

In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive

Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.

Written by: Fred Dodgson

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...