Synopsis

Children of the Wind tells the story of young children from the island of Bonaire who journey from a life of poverty to international fame through the sport of windsurfing, transforming not only their island but the face of the sport worldwide. At their first international competition in Merritt Island Florida 2001, the Bonaire children brought home twenty awards. This was an unprecedented achievement for any country, much less a tiny island in the Caribbean. The shocking news aired on CNN and received major international attention. What many didn't realize, however, was the fifteen year struggle endured by their mentor Elvis Martinus leading up to that competition, and the humble backgrounds from which these children came: take for example the Baletin brothers who were both orphans on the island; or young Tonky and Taty Frans who had left their unstable home with their cousin Kiri Thode to live with their grandparents and learned to sail on broken thrown away equipment; the Frans brothers and Kiri are now among the top 6 freestyle windsurfers in the world. Since 2001, this small island of 13,000 people has dominated the professional rankings in freestyle. More remarkable: Bonaire continues to produce world champions in every age category of the ProKids competitions. Our documentary will follow these children from their modest beginnings to the cover of magazines and what they learned in the process; how they took their fame and returned it back to the local people with humility and pride. This is a story of how powerful change can come from children willing and strong enough to persevere through physical discipline. It is a story of children brave enough to push beyond the perceived limits of their circumstance and offer new hope to their community.

How:

With veteran feature film cinematographer Peter Robertson (of Atonement and James Bond: Quantum of Solace) behind the camera, combined with the latest technology in HD filmmaking, Children of the Wind will bring to viewers an unforgettable and explosive experience. We will make use of archival footage, interviews, lifestyle and action scenes to tell the dynamic story of Bonaire's young windsurfers. We are currently in development and will return to Bonaire in May 2010 to continue shooting. Full Power!