RRU filmmaker unveils extreme female sports in Indonesia

Even with a population of 250 million people, finding female extreme athletes within conservative and traditional Indonesia is no easy task. West Shore filmmaker Darcy Turenne found the toughest five.

A 27-year-old professional mountain biker and former TV host, Turenne spent the beginning of the year living among young women and girls who dared become risk-taking athletes.

The Eighth Parallel was 罢耻谤别苍苍别B次元官网网址檚 first shot at a feature documentary, and it also doubles as her thesis for her masters in intercultural and international communication at Royal Roads University.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about how to negotiate being an athlete in a traditional, male dominated society,B次元官网网址� Turenne says. B次元官网网址淭hey broke free of the stereotype.B次元官网网址�

Turenne originally had visions of travelling to Afghanistan to interview women who participate in athletics within a rigid, highly conservative society.

B次元官网网址淚 really wanted to follow a womenB次元官网网址檚 boxing team,B次元官网网址� she says. Indonesia seemed a wiser route in terms of safety and sources.

B次元官网网址淚ndonesia is a male dominated Muslim country, but itB次元官网网址檚 a good mix of safety, sports culture and is still traditional,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot more freedom of movement (than Afghanistan).B次元官网网址�

She scoured action sports blogs and competition websites to eventually track down five females who fit the bill B次元官网网址� 17-year-old Rin and 15-year-old Lasti Riantini are rock climbers; 25-year-old Jasmine Tiara Haskrell competition surfs; 30-year-old Risa Suseanty races mountain bikes; and 12-year-old Kirana Anastasua races motocross.

A few other Indonesian female extreme athletes exist, but not many. B次元官网网址淭hese were the five women who were most hardcore,B次元官网网址� Turenne says.

Over two months in January and February on the islands of Bali and Java and armed only with a Canon D7 camera, one by one she documented how the women navigated their athletic lives against demands of society and tradition.

The families welcomed her into their homes and encouraged their daughters to talk openly about their athletic passions. B次元官网网址淓ach girl had a different story. I connected with all of them in different ways,B次元官网网址� Turenne says, B次元官网网址淏ut the main theme, other than the challenge, was that usually a male family member was connected to the sport. If a family member is in the sport, that might transcend to the daughter.B次元官网网址�

罢耻谤别苍苍别B次元官网网址檚 The Eight Parallel is part of the body of work generated under the RRUB次元官网网址檚 Canada research chair in innovative learning and public ethnography, which in a nutshell is cultural analysis through storytelling.

B次元官网网址淩oyal Roads gave me the freedom to dive into a world I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have been able to otherwise,B次元官网网址� Turenne says. B次元官网网址淭hey left the door open to be creative with research. ItB次元官网网址檚 a theory-based program, but it allows research that connects with regular society.B次元官网网址�

Turenne has submitted The Eighth Parallel to the Victoria Film Festival, among a number of festivals, and is earning a reputation as an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker.

In August she shot a film in Rwanda for the Coca-Cola company, which sponsored a contest linked to women fuelling change in their communities. She described Rwanda as B次元官网网址渟hockingly clean and safe.B次元官网网址� On a trip to Los Angeles, Turenne created and directed a music video for a band called Risers, after putting out a contest for a free video shoot on the Internet.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know I wanted to be a filmmaker until I started doing it.B次元官网网址�

See The Eight Parallel at www.hellodarcy.com.

B次元官网网址攚ith a file from Amy Dove of Royal Roads University

editor@goldstreamgazette.com