Calling on Others Trailer from Scott LeDuc on Vimeo.


Our good friend Scott LeDuc over at LiveAgape is currently touring the continent on the film festival circuit with his epic new surf film CALLING ON OTHERS. The project has taken Scott and his crew a couple years to pull off and we recently sat down with him to talk about it. I'll let him tell you about the project in his own words:

Greetings Mr. LeDuc, could you describe the project for us?
Calling on Others is a short Surf film about local Balinese Surfers to inspire education. A friend (Andrew Matthews) and I went over to Bali for a month long surf trip last year. One night after a surf we ended up talking with an old friend (Cawi), from the local surf community. During the conversations he told us how he tries to support some of the local young surfers through school sponsorships. In Bali there is no form of free public education so every family is forced to pay for their children's schooling regardless if they have the money. This inspired us to make this trip a bit more than just surfing. Cawi introduced us to four local surfers that were not only great surfers but diligent students as well. We decided that we could shoot a short film about surfing and the lives of these four young Balinese surfers.The goal for the film is to raise funds for these surfers to be able to attend the University.

How long have you been living in Bali?
I spent a year in Bali during 2007 and have been coming back every year for at least one month. This place has become a second home for me. Andrew came to Bali for the first time last year when we shot the film and it did not take long for him to fall in love with Bali. Now the both of us are currently back in Bali enjoying the island's great surf and hanging out with all the local surfers.



Anything unexpected?
The making of this film was all a bit unexpected and unplanned. We came to Bali for a surf trip and it turned out to be something much greater. Andrew's acting skills and him trying to look good in front of the camera seemed to come all too easy. Everything involved with this film and project has brought us tremendous amounts of joy and fun.

What were your biggest challenges?
The filming process while we were in Bali came pretty naturally, without too many challenges. The hard part came after our trip to Bali, when we came home and started post production of the film with no money or support. It is hard to make a film with no money and then try to use the film to raise money for a cause. There was a lot of time and effort that went into this project and the premieres we had for the film. Thankfully we were blessed to find people that wanted to help premiere the film around California. In the end it was our parents that came up with a chunk of money to get the whole project rolling.



Any good stories during shooting?
The coolest part of making this film was the time we got to spend with these incredible young surfers and the relationships we have made. One unique part in the film is when we got invited to attend a prayer ceremony with one of the young surfer's families. Not only did we get some really cool cultural footage but both of us were allowed to participate in the prayer ceremony. Invites like this have allowed us to create long lasting friendships.

What's the next step for the you? the project?
Currently we are in Bali and have been able to premiere the film for the local surf community. We are setting up a fund for these kids to go to University and will continue to try and raise money for the four young surfers in the film. Along with premiering the film we have also been getting plenty of time in the water with all the surfers here in Bali and shooting a bit more to possibly make a longer film. When we get back to the States we plan on setting up some more premieres and we have also been in contact with some people and organizations and trying to collaborate ideas in order to continually help out the surf community in Bali and other Indonesian islands.

Film festival plans?
We just started submitting the film in festivals all over the world. So far we just got accepted in the Olympia Film Festival in Washington and hopefully more in the future. (note: Since this interview the film has been accepted to several film festivals, and Scott is currently in Denver for the Festivus Film Festival)

Where can people donate?
We have a website for the film www.Callingonothers.com where people can donate and also be updated on any information of upcoming events as well.

Thanks Scott! Bali Bagus!



2010 Update Teaser for Calling On Others from Scott LeDuc on Vimeo.