In 2019, while organizing a conference, I discovered the work and made the acquaintance of a brilliant French filmmaker, Marion Poizeau, director of the award-winning documentary, Into the Sea. About the group of women who introduced surfing in the southern, and most conservative province of Iran in 2013.

Into the sea

Marion was living in Africa and I was living in Oregon at the time, and I was hoping to bring her to the States for the conference, but I had to cancel the project in March of 2020. Thankfully, Marion reached out again, and when we reconnected in May 2025, I immediately volunteered to work on the second installment of Into the Sea. In the meantime, Marion founded RCA, Ramin Cultural Alliance, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be working on launching that nonprofit with her.