2022 | India | Documentary

Against the Tide

  • Hindi English 92 mins
  • Director | Sarvnik Kaur
  • Writer | -
  • Producer | Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur

This film is currently not available.   

Rakesh and Ganesh are so close, they consider themselves brothers. Both are fishermen of Bombay's Indigenous Koli community, but they've taken contrasting paths. Rakesh uses his inheritance — his father's boat and the knowledge passed down by generations of Koli fisherman — to fish in the traditional ways, while Ganesh — who was educated abroad — has instead embraced modern, technology-driven, and environmentally destructive methods of deep-sea fishing, causing increasing friction between the friends. But with declining fish populations caused by pollution and invasive species, neither man is finding much success, adding to the burdens facing their young families, and testing the bonds of their brotherhood.

Director Sarvnik Kaur takes a deeply humanistic and intimate approach in her profile of these two men at a crossroads in both their friendship and profession. Immersing the viewer in their experiences, where neither man is hero or villain in the choices they make to survive in an imperiled world, she presents a microcosmic, sea level view of the fragility of our relationship with the changing environment.

fishermen indigenous community traditional knowledge survive environment relationship friendship brotherhood
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