La Maestra (The Teacher) is a half-hour documentary about a young Mexican woman who decides to follow her own path and in doing so, inspires other to do the same and changes her community’s expectations of what’s appropriate for girls and women. The film profiles Mayra Agulair, a teacher in a tiny rural fishing village in Baja, Mexico, who becomes the first Mexican woman surfer in her area. Told in Spanish with English subtitles using mainly Mayra’s voice, the film shows how she has gone on to inspire both her students and other local women to take up the sport and follow their dreams.
Through her deep connection to the ocean, Mayra has also become an environmentalist, teaching her students the importance of land and sea stewardship through hands on learning. In the film, Mayra talks about the amazing surfing waves in her town — a gift of nature that has brought thousands of gringo surfers to the area over the years, forever changing Mayra’s hometown in both positive and negative ways. In this regard, the film is also a subtle commentary on the impact outsider surf tourists can have on small communities around the globe and the need for all of us to be mindful of taking care of the environment, no matter where we are. La Maestra is an important film because it features a strong Latina woman role model that will appeal to everyone. There is no surf media hype, no surf company sponsors, and no surf industry to spoil the soul of this film.
Why did we want to make this film?
I have been traveling to Mexico and to Baja since I a was a baby. My mother is from Mexico and I have family throughout Northern Baja and Jalisco, and as a child, we would make the two hour journey across the border regularly. Mexico brings me happiness and joy and I’m always in awe of how kind and resilient the people are. Mexico is family to me. I think that most surfers and travelers who visit Mexico see it as a vacationland and neglect to really see the people who live there. If we were to rely on the media and stereotypes about Mexico we would be left to think that Mexico is a lawless place run by drug cartels, where banditos are lurking behind every corner waiting for the opportunity rob and kill you. I wanted this film to give viewers a glimpse into a day in the life of a very normal yet somewhat extraordinary woman. Mayra is a strong woman and a graceful surfer, but really she is no different from surfers and teachers everywhere and that is what I want this film to show: That people are people, I want the viewers to see themselves in Mayra. Because only when people begin to see the similarities among others can we begin to humanize these places that are so misrepresented by the media.
Co-Producer and Co-Director Elizabeth Pepin Silva: “La Maestra (The Teacher) is a continuation of my efforts through my films and photography to change the way all women are portrayed in the media and create an alternative voice in surfing by pointing my video and photo lenses at women surfers of all ethnicities and backgrounds, ages, and sizes and shapes. I’m also tired of watching surf movies with the same groups of young white guys in every film – definitely not reflecting what I see in the line-ups around the world. I felt it was time that a local woman at one of these surf spots had a chance to tell her own story.
“I began exploring Baja in 1992, and fell in love with the people, culture, and land. I have always wanted to make a film there, but have been limited by my poor Spanish, so I was thrilled when Paul asked if I wanted to make a film with him in Mexico, because his language skills would enable me to finally fulfill my documentary dream. I had briefly met Mayra during a surf trip in 2012, and had taken some photographs of her stylish and graceful surfing and admired her courage to do something different from most of her peers. When Paul said he wanted to make a film with me, I told him about Mayra and we agreed we had the star of our documentary – if only she would agree. Lucky for us, Mayra was fine with us filming her, and once we arrived in Baja, she and her family opened their lives and their home to us, allowing us complete access. We are extremely grateful to the entire Aguilar family for being so generous with their time and their stories, as well as their delicious food.”
To support the production of La Maestra, check out their Indiegogo.
