Desert Point locals livid as three-time world champ Gabriel Medina’s team reportedly attempts to shut down local photographers during filming of movie, “Medina was lucky to get out of here before the news spread. We hope he never comes back!” – BeachGrit

“You don’t own this place, we do.”

Desert Point locals are outraged and promising revenge after Gabriel Medina allegedly sent his producer around to tell the local photographers and videographers they were forbidden to shoot his waves.

“He thinks he can show up in my backyard and surf my waves and he gets to be the only person who benefits from it? Is he insane?” said one.

“You wanna come here and shoot some movie exclusively? And only you can make money off it? Not let us make any money? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

This local, who wished to remain anonymous while he explores legal action and a boycott of Medina’s movie, says, “You gotta contribute to the local community. That’s just common cultural courtesy. Just like any big movie. Just like the WSL did at G-Land. You don’t own this place, we do. Medina was lucky to get out of here before the news spread. We hope he never comes back.”

Whether or not Medina knew his producer was, allegedly, shutting down local shooters is unclear.

(This video cat got a few clips, howevs.)

Rumours are that this might change the whole local photography industry over at Desert Point, particularly now that it is targeted for an “eco-resort” and marina.

Think: exclusivity.

Developers want to partly convert Desert Point into a “World-class surfing competition venue” alongside the “eco-resort” and the marina a little way up the Lombok coast.

Complicating things is the fact that just like Grajagan, Desert Point is on National Park land and despite the locals having been there for generations the legalities of land ownership is foggy.

Source: beachgrit.com