Living Lightly Film Festival  

SHIFTING TIDES

India, 16:24 min

Director : Aakash Doshi

As the morning tides rise, Ahmedbhai leads his herd of camels while they swim from one mangrove island to another. The rotating blades of the wind turbines and factories create the backdrop for the village where Ahmedbhai and Ismailbhai live with their families. The film follows Ahmedbhai and Ismailbhai who are few of the remaining Unt Maldharis (nomadic camel pastoralists) that are continuing their forefathers’ occupation as the caretakers of the Kharai camels. The Kharai camels are the only camel species that can swim in the world and Ahmedbhai and Ismailbhai share a rare bond with them that goes back seven generations.

This film explores the duality between the Unt Maldhari community and the onslaught of change which has affected their livelihood and unique traditional knowledge that is on the verge of vanishing.