What does a small Indonesian village do when its sole source of food and income is slowly dying out? Documentarian Manuel Alberto Maia brings his camera into the middle of this crisis in his short film, Arubara.
Arubara is a small fishing hamlet sitting along the beautiful Sea of Arubara in Indonesia. Ikhsan Ahmad heads out to fish for octopus. Today’s haul is small. When he brings it home, his wife, Baiq Asmini, weighs, measures, photographs, and logs her findings in a notebook. For quite some time, she and the other fishermen’s wives have been collecting data.
The results are not promising. Once a vibrant fishing area, the waters along the Sea of Arubara have seen their fish population dwindle, threatening the villagers who rely on fishing for food and income. Drastic measures are needed, and the village decides its only choice is to shut down fishing for three months, hoping the fish population will return. Maia’s cameras are there when it happens.
Fishermen carry their catch ashore along a rocky beach in Arubara.
“Once a vibrant fishing area, the waters along the Sea of Arubara have seen their fish population dwindle, threatening the villagers who rely on fishing for food and income.”
Often, when we talk about the environment and the dangers of climate change, we’re given a few stats and told a story to believe before we see it. In Arubara, we see the problem and the results: a dwindling fish population that was massive decades ago.
The villagers make an important point. The sea is something you have to take care of. Who is doing that? They all realize that no one is coming to fix the problem. The village must solve it themselves, and it will be painful for a moment. But will patience win out in the end?
Arubara is a simple, common-sense tale about the environment. Filmmaker Manuel Alberto Maia not only lays out the facts, but also weaves a dramatic story in the process. That soundtrack certainly adds to the drama. Arubara isn’t just about the impending environmental apocalypse—it shows that if you work as a community, you have a chance to come out on the other side.
For screening information, visit the Arubara official website.
"…But will patience win out in the end?"
