105. William Henry, director da Save the Waves, faz 1º comentário

copyright: photo by William Henry

No Global Surf News pode ser lido o primeiro comentário de Will Henry, o Director Executivo da Save the Waves, ao frenesim gerado com a notícia sobre o filme "Lost Jewel of the Atlantic". Aqui deixamos o texto, em resposta a outro comentário, que é esclarecedor. Sublinhado nosso.

5/12/2006 - 01:28 - Will Henry
«(...) I would like to point out that the producers of this film do not think that the local people in Jardim do Mar (or Madeira) are hostile, nor do we think that the government of Madeira is any more corrupt than most of the world's governments, including that of the United States. I have spent a great deal of time in Jardim do Mar and have many friends there, and understand the political situation there very well.

The film does not impose a foreigner's ideal on what should have happened in Jardim do Mar. It asks Jardineiros what they think about the wall, and attempts to tell all sides of the story, from a local and a foreign perspective. Please understand that we mean Madeirans no disrespect. The surfers of Madeira are the people who led this battle and who lost it. The local population was hostile towards the surfers when they tried to stand up for their rights - if you weren't in the town circle that day, you will not undertsand what I mean. The reaason they were hostile? Because the government fed them a bunch of lies, and they believed the government because, until that point, President Jardim had only done good things for the island. They didn't want to believe that he had sold their village to the highest bidder, when in fact, that is exactly what happened.

The sad thing is that the island's beauty has been compromised for the short-term profit of a few rich men who are now even richer. The people of Jardim have lost something of great value that can never be retrieved. Yes, it's the dirty world of politics, but that doesn't mean we need to accept it.»