By John Corrado

★★★ (out of 4)

The 2023 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 27th to May 7th in Toronto, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

Against the Tide, which won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Vérité Filmmaking at Sundance, is a compelling slice-of-life documentary from filmmaker Sarvnik Kaur. The film follows two independent fisherman in India as they struggle to make a living, touching on issues of poverty, class, and climate change, through its engaging vérité lens.

Rakesh and Ganesh are both Indigenous Koli men from Mumbai. The two are friends who fish in the sea, but have been struggling to bring in much of a catch. Kaur simply sets up her camera and lets us observe as they barter to sell their catch on the market, bickering with each other, and arguing over whether or not to adopt controversial LED night-fishing practises. Ganesh argues that these new advancements are necessary to remain competitive, while Rakesh wants to follow traditional Koli practises, following natural rhythms and only fishing in shallow waters.

Adapt or die, seems to be the mentality, but overfishing and pollution are the bigger issues, with them pulling in as much garbage as they do fish. Kaur also focuses on the families that they are struggling to provide for, with Rakesh’s infant son fighting a constant fever. Playing out in a similarly observational way to the Oscar-nominated All That Breathes, Against the Tide is engaging for the way that it captures the rhythms of their life and culture.

Screenings: No more festival screenings.