What happens to boys with Olympic dreams… when the only thing keeping them alive is the fish they catch that morning?

In Bulleji, a forgotten fishing village in Karachi, boys grow up with salt in their blood and hunger in their bellies. Before the sun rises, they cast their nets. If the sea is kind, there’s fish to eat. If not, they go hungry.

There are no coaches here. No clean water, no safety nets. Just oil-slicked waves, crumbling boats, and the fading memory of a coast their ancestors once owned.

But somehow, impossibly, they taught themselves to surf.

Using broken boards, salvaged fins, and heart alone, these boys have turned their struggle into skill. And now, they believe they can represent Pakistan in the Olympics.

But to do that, they need more than just talent.

They need the world to notice.

🎥 Why I’m Making This Film

As a Pakistani filmmaker, I’ve spent my career telling stories that don’t make headlines — but should.

When I first met the surfers of Bulleji, I didn’t see poverty.
I saw resistance. I saw a community fighting to stay afloat in every sense economically, culturally, spiritually.
And I knew this story couldn’t wait.

This film isn’t just about a group of kids chasing a dream.
It’s about creating a pathway for them, and for every child growing up at the margins of visibility.
By documenting their journey, we are helping them form Pakistan’s first national surfing federation, a gateway that would allow them to compete on the global stage — and claim their place in the world.

This story matters because they matter.

💡 What This Project Will Do

Surfers of Bulleji will follow the lives of these self-taught surfers and the sea that raised them. It will capture their daily hustle — fishing to eat, surfing to live — and their relentless drive to do the unthinkable.

We’ll film:

• Intimate character stories within the village

• The impact of climate change and coastal development on their community

• Their grassroots efforts to create a federation and gain Olympic recognition

• Their joy, their loss, their hope

This is a documentary made with urgency, respect, and heart.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏽 Why Crowdfunding — and Why You Matter

We're an independent team with no studio backing and limited resources.
This is a grassroots production — just like the story we’re telling.

Here’s what your contributions will directly support:

• Equipment rentals, crew travel, and local hires

• Post-production (editing, color, sound)

• Subtitles in Urdu and English

• Film festival fees to get this story seen globally

• Small stipends for the surfers and their families, so they can continue training and surviving

We believe in equitable storytelling — not extracting narratives but investing in the lives behind them.

We’re not just asking you to fund a film.
We’re asking you to co-create a future for this village.

Supporters Are the Heroes of This Story

The boys in Bulleji already have courage.
They already have vision.
What they don’t have — is a platform.

That’s where you come in.

When you support this project, you’re not just giving money.
You’re giving dignity, visibility, and hope.

You’re showing these boys that the world is watching — and that they deserve to be seen not just as survivors, but as athletes, leaders, and change-makers.

Let’s tell the world: Pakistan has surfers.
And they are ready.

Join us. Ride the wave. Rewrite the future.