The Fisherman and the Banker + Q&A (18)

Filmed over a decade, “the Fisherman and the Banker” is modern-day David and Goliath documentary that chronicles the struggle of a fishing community in India’s Gulf of Kutch who take on one of the world’s most powerful institutions, The World Bank Group, after it funded a coal-fired power plant on their coast.

In Gujarat, the fishermen and their movement, MASS, have long been fighting against power plants that threaten their way of life. Then in 2015, they join forces with EarthRights International, a Washington DC-based NGO, and file a lawsuit against the World Bank’s private lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after it provided a critical loan to the Tata Mundra power plant, despite recognising it as high risk project. As the legal challenge progresses to the US Supreme Court in 2018, the film documents the community’s pursuit of justice.

Through a poetic and observational lens, the film captures not just the legal battle but the profound connection between the community and their environment. Will these indomitable fishermen succeed in rewriting international law to protect their heritage and environment, or will the might of the IFC prevail?

The film was nominated for best feature film at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

"Moving and Necessary. A David-vs-Goliath story for an age that desperately needs such stories” – Yanis Varoufakis

Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Sheena Sumaria, policy expert, Petra Kjell Wright from Recourse, and Dr. Bharat Patel.

Petra Kjell Wright is a Campaigns Manager at Recourse, an organisation focused on influencing development finance for sustainable, socially just, and inclusive development. Petra has previously worked with the Bank Information Center and the Bretton Woods Project, addressing the World Bank’s impact on climate, environment, and human rights. She holds an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London.

Sheena Sumaria, a British-Gujarati documentary filmmaker, transitioned from a career in international development to filmmaking. With degrees in Economics and Development Studies from Cambridge and SOAS, her passion for social justice drives her work. She began with “Still Standing,” highlighting life in Medellin’s slums, followed by films on the Chilean student uprising and the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. Her short films address various social issues, including Brexit and homelessness.

Dr. Bharat Patel is one of the film’s protagonists, and is the Research Lead for the Centre for Policy Research-Namati Environmental Justice Program in Gujarat. He has been instrumental in mobilising and amplifying the voices of fishing communities in Gujarat on rights based and social development issues, and since 2008 he has served as General Secretary of MASS, the fish workers’ rights association in Kutch. Bharat holds a PhD focused on the impact of new fishing technologies on fishing communities.