Attempting to show climate change in a real life situation can be a daunting task. There are no exclusive events or situations that can point towards that.
One possible way is by showing human interest stories about how lives are affected due to the drastic changes in natural surroundings.
Sarvnik Kaur’s Sundance-winning documentary, Against The Tide, is an attempt at that and is about two fishermen from the Koli community of Mumbai, who are struggling to find the ‘catch of the day’ while they are fishing in a dying Arabian Sea – one of the fastest dying seas in the world.
This documentary – which won the Golden Gateway Award at the 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival, and the Best Documentary Film Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2023 – was screened last week at Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), Panjim.
It was screened as part of the Cinephile Film Club and the MAMI (Mumbai International Film Festival) Year Round Program, where showcased 15 diverse films were showcased – right from short films to documentaries – from April 11 to April 14.
Sarvnik Kaur, who was present at the screening, stated that the germ of the story was the construction of a coastal road in Mumbai, as the 22 km road is threatening the livelihood of the Koli community.
Kaur informed that being part of the fisherwomen’s collective which was protesting to save their 175-year-old fish market from turning into a mall, gave her a chance to understand the issues this community faced, and how it reflected in the present time amidst climate change.
ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
The documentary is about two friends — Rakesh, who is involved in shallow sea fishing using the traditional method; and Ganesh who has left his job in Scotland to take forward his family’s profession through technology.
He is involved in trawler fishing and is contemplating using LED fishing technology, which happens to be banned.
Kaur, who spent around a year with these fishermen, stated that the conversation between these two men is like a conversation between the heart and mind.
Ganesh believes that technology will give him a good harvest, whereas Rakesh is content with his traditional method, even though he has to struggle to get a good income.
She further added, “It is hard to show climate change. But, it is visible through indicators like algal bloom, fish migration, etc. So, everything that happens to the sea, happens in their life, be it financially, socially, etc.”
She informed that there are now fewer fish as large swatches of the Arabian Sea are dead. For deep sea fishing, it now takes around 10 to 15 days which was a five-day job in the past. Also, the catch is nothing to crow about.
Kaur, who took around four years to complete this film, used to film for around 10 hours a day by just following the lives of Rakesh and Ganesh. It showcases the turmoil as well as the happy moments of their lives.
Thus, she had footage of around 400 hours, and based on that material, she decided the trajectory of her documentary.
Kaur, who started this documentary, due to the construction of the marine road, does not mention it directly in the documentary. She stated that it was a conscious decision.
Sarvnik Kaur’s Sundance-winning documentary, Against The Tide, is about two fishermen from the Koli community of Mumbai, who are struggling to find the ‘catch of the day’ while they are fishing in a dying Arabian Sea – one of the fastest dying seas in the world.
“Twenty years ahead, this movie is still relevant today. The reality is not changing unless we change our value system. The coastal road is a symbol of our sickness. Twenty years later, another community will be marginalised for some another project,” she says.
Kaur also emphasized that this documentary is not for the Koli community per se, but, for people like her, who want to live in high rise buildings with a sea view, since people like Rakesh will survive because they have the tools to do so.
“We need to learn the lesson and be saved,” she concludes.
