Documentary Films

Environmental Justice

The Environmental Justice Movement started in the United States branching off from the Civil Rights movement. South Africa at the time was trapped in the apartheid system of constant human rights violations and unimaginable socio-political atrocities. The conservation movement in South Africa was dominated by a closed-group of biocentric proponents who designated themselves as apolitical and strayed far away from the struggles of black communities. The Apartheid regime not only institutionalized geographical segregation but intentionally located some of the most polluting/toxic industries on the doorsteps of black communities. The latter served as industry's pool of cheap black labour. During the underground struggle against apartheid, environmental injustices was recognized as part and parcel of the broader oppression and exploitation, and liberation structures not only fought these battles at grassroots level but included the Environmental Agenda' as a key portfolio in branch structures. Environmental Justice started as far back as the 1950s in  the South Durban Basin and grew with strength and standing and today post-apartheid grassroots structures, CBOs and NGOs have consistently been fighting these battles.

Short Film: Fishers Victory 2013

 

Fishers Victory

This short film serves as a follow up to the nine year battle of the subsistence fisherfolk trying to re-gain the right to fish for food in the harbour.

The long battle culminated in a victory and on the 25th August 2013, the fisherfolk were given access to the South Pier of the Durban Harbour.


Copyright 2013

Baited

Baited (Teaser) - 4' 03''

Full - 90'

Synopsis

The film tells the story of the plight of the fisher-folk in Durban, their struggles against the state-corporate restrictions and denied access to their ‘hunting-gathering’ food spots. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened in the context of neo-liberal economic agendas, exacerbating hunger and the battle to survive in the Urban Jungle, where natural food resources are limited, not free and finding natural ‘hunting grounds’ with ‘free food’, extremely rare. One of those few natural hunting grounds for survival food has for decades been the Durban Harbour and its Piers, which have since been closed off to subsistence fisher-folk.

 

A battle for food against players with high profile power and socio-economic status is truly unfair; the subsistence fishers have to take on a centre of wealth and power, the National Ports Authority. The extreme polarity of the fishers and big business-industry sets the basis for an unfair battle, the former struggling for basic resources such as food, water and shelter and the latter having all the wealth resources to restrict, deny access and criminalise legitimate poverty struggles.

Baited is a full feature documentary on subsistence fishing rights and the 'Inequality of Survival' set in Durban, South Africa, with several layers delving into historical traditions, untold 'Voyages of Discovery' that predate colonial 'truth', overfishing versus fishing for food, green fishing, biodiversity, environmental protection, corporate power, poverty, human rights, parallel inequities from apartheid to post........

I started this development and production in 2007 with a good friend's equipment on a single shoot, then left the production hanging while pursuing other adventures. Eventually I started proper production in early 2010, produced a 15' DVD on the 'Port Authority's Access Options' (April 2010), I've been in post-production in my spare time ever since. It's been daunting squeezing time out of a hectic schedule to produce the film on 'no-budget' but the lessons are priceless, infinite, and worth the 'blood and sweat'. The struggles of the poor are worth burning the midnight oil for and cross-subsidising from one's 'bread and butter' income.

Full Feature Film released  December 2010

© Copyright Wolverine Productions SA