Today, Red Bull TV announced the release of Waves for Water, a new feature-length documentary that tells the story of former pro surfer Jon Rose and his mission to bring access to clean drinking water to everyone in the world who needs it. Set to release exclusively on Red Bull TV on March 22, World Water Day, an international day coordinated by UN-Water to celebrate freshwater, Waves for Water is a powerful documentary that exposes what it is like to discover a higher purpose in life, even when one isn’t searching for it.
With South Africa’s current water crisis and the quality of drinking water being affected by unprecedented low water levels especially in the Western Cape, this documentary arrives at the perfect time for our communities. Waves for Water sheds light and educates people on the importance of water conservation and various ways in which to supply clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities.
The 52-minute Waves For Water documentary features personal, emotional interviews from Jon, actors Rosario Dawson and Patricia Arquette, and others close to him, detailing the surprising events that led the professional athlete to become a next generation humanitarian, as well as how his grassroots organisation, Waves For Water has grown from a one-off surf trip in Sumatra to an international NGO with brand partners like Hurley, Neymar Jr, Paypal, BMW and more.
“I am driven by the power of ‘what if.’ What if I can change the world? I also have an allergic reaction to injustice,” said Jon. “It is a combination of those two things that make up who I am and set me on my journey to help those in need.”
Living the mantra of his Waves For Water organisation, “do what you love and help out along the way,” Jon isn’t the typical run-of-the-mill humanitarian – he surfs, motorcycles, sails and treks his way around the globe on his quest to end the world water crisis one filter at a time.
“People talk about finding your passion and going for it, but don't know where to start,” said Rosario. “I love that Jon says just start with a filter. Throw a filter in your backpack and we can do this together.”
First inspired by his father, Jack Rose, and the work he was doing in Africa using filters to help people catch and filter rainwater, Jon discovered that his true calling was to bring clean drinking water through the distribution of portable water filters to millions of people who need it most.
After extensive research and discovering a simple filtration process, in 2009, Jon set out to Bali on his first clean water mission armed with ten filters. During a quick surf stop in the city of Padang, Indonesia, an earthquake hit that would completely devastate the area. Surviving the earthquake without a scratch, Jon travelled inland to distribute the filters where they were most needed. Though he didn’t realise it at the time, this was the birth of his organisation: Waves For Water.
The Waves For Water documentary moves viewers to act, as Jon teaches the audience that change can be simple and impactful – one water filter at a time.
Waves For Water is timed to launch on March 22 on UN-Water’s World Water Day, a day established to focus attention on the importance of fresh water and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The documentary will stream On Demand on Red Bull TV at www.redbull.tv/wavesforwater.
