The Fishers of Meinmahla

Synopsis

Meinmahla Island, located in the protected wetlands of the Ayeyarwady Delta, is home to abundant wildlife – including the saltwater crocodile. Braving the obvious dangers lurking in these muddy creeks, entire fishing families spend weeks searching for the crabs that thrive in the dense mangroves. Focusing on a couple who must leave their two school-aged daughters in the village when they go fishing in this vast natural park, this documentary opens a window onto a whole floating community struggling together. Watching these intrepid fishermen work, worry, laugh, and remember, we quickly become aware of their profound connection to the spiritual and natural worlds, and to all that lives in this aquatic landscape, both menacing and breathtakingly beautiful. “If the journey has been arduous, the rewards have been many.” The community we met – many of whom were survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated the delta and its people in 2008 – truly embodied benevolence in the face of invisible karma… with formidable teeth.