The Silent Wave - A fisheries cooperative in India responds to Covid-19

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On 21 March 2020, ten days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic, a voluntary closure was imposed on all fishing and fish marketing activities in Kollam in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

Shot during the peak of the first wave of Covid-19 in India, this documentary tells the story of how the fishermen and women of Kollam coped with the lockdown and the widespread disruptions in their fisheries. Responding to the crisis, the local fisheries cooperative introduced a major change to the prevalent auction system. The innovation was aimed at both ensuring the safety of the coastal fishing community, and correcting the power imbalance between fishers and traders. But the new system had some unforeseen consequences.

Direction: JJ Abraham, Vishnu Hari
Camera: Vishnu Hari
Script: JJ Abraham, Vishnu Hari, Manas Roshan
Editor: JJ Abraham
Sound Recordist and Camera Assistant: Jino Sam Panayil
Music: Bittersweet by Podington Bear