“Against the Tide” (2023): Universal perspectives told through deeply personal stories

The ethical conflict of wanting to be modern while romanticizing traditional ways seems inevitable. However, in the world of capitalist greed, sticking to the ideal path could, in the opinion of the highly intelligent modern person, seem like stupidity without justifying logic. In Against the Tide, Rakesh is the “stupid” man who, in the eyes of Ganesh, a financial advisor who has returned from Scotland to make a business out of his ancestral profession as a fisherman, is stuck in the traditional methods of fishing in the shallow seas .

It is important to learn to focus on beings like Rakesh, because the counterpart Ganesh may be no different from any other extremely ambitious intelligent man who can find meaning in any idea thrown at him.

It feels like Sarvnik Kaur is asking you to look closer and deeper into the psyche of Rakesh. He is a koli who is not afraid – a song often heard, especially when bathing a newborn. It is important to learn to focus on beings like Rakesh, because the counterpart Ganesh may be no different from any other extremely ambitious intelligent man who can find meaning in any idea thrown at him. Therefore, it is important to delve into the life of Rakesh in “Against the Tide” to understand the world around us a little deeper, which can probably make this world a better place.

LED fishing

In Against the Tide, Ganesh owns a trawler (a fishing boat with two or more nets that attempts to operate at the same time). He lives in a modern house and talks a lot about business. Rakesh lives in a small house with coated sheets on the roof and can only idyllically stare into nothingness or play with his newborn child. There is a reason Ganesh is more ambitious in his business and fishing methods. He believes in modern techniques to attract as many fish as possible using LED lights. This practice was forbidden by the central government in 2017 following the complaints of small fishermen and deaths of small fish due to LED light.

Source: IMDb

However, he is convinced that these hidden tricks must be used if we have to make profits. Over a drink, he argues with Rakesh about catching fish at a depth of 100 to 120 meters, a depth that Rakesh cannot reach with his dinghy. However, he doesn’t know much except: “It’s not good for the sea.”

“He (Rakesh) may not speak a modern language. But he knows something deep,” Sarvnik Kaur said in one interview with an online publication, Vague Visages.

The images from “Against the Tide,” captured by Ashok Meena, touch you so deeply and awaken powerful thoughts that might not have occurred to you when you were a child watching similarly beautiful deep-sea dives on the National Geographic Channel.

The images from “Against the Tide,” captured by Ashok Meena, touch you so deeply and awaken powerful thoughts that might not have occurred to you when you were a child watching similarly beautiful deep-sea dives on the National Geographic Channel. The opening shot: plastic floating before the fish surfaces; introduce ourselves to the topic of climate change. The final shot: Huge iron pillars in the deep, algae-covered ocean; This represents how fish, too, will eventually have to learn to coexist with the vast infrastructure in the oceans. The documentary is so quiet and meditative that it gives you the mental space to let your thoughts wander without much noise – apart from the ambient noise.

Source: JustWatch

The sound design of Against the Tide is very concise. It’s so simple but technically wonderful that it gives you an immersive experience that demands the depth of this documentary. Of course, the work of Masaya Kitada, a foley artist from Japan, also plays a key role in capturing the entire atmosphere of the place.

Against capitalist greed

Rakesh is a much-needed reminder for us to take note of what humanity is capable of in the name of development. Ganesh gave up his career as a financial advisor in Scotland, Sarvnik mentioned in an interview. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t mind venturing into the deep sea, unlike Rakesh who fishes in a limited area. Both belong to the same Koli community. But despite Rakesh’s child’s serious health problems, they do not bend the traditional customs of their Koli community. “Don’t be too greedy,” Rakesh’s mother reminds him as he considers going fishing with a bigger and stronger boat, signaling that they want to be content with what they have.

Rakesh even gets insulted by Ganesh for not even having a sandaas (toilet) in his house when he tells him that everyone is happy in his house. It’s easy to pass this off as a romanticization of poverty. But we should take a closer look. Rakesh doesn’t have enough.

Rakesh even gets insulted by Ganesh for not even having a sandaas (toilet) in his house when he tells him that everyone is happy in his house.

But he still has enough. It is the shrinking within the cycle of poverty that kept him sane and safe in “Against the Tide.” And finally, the hole in his child’s heart was healed. Ganesh, on the other hand, who had always dreamed of creating an entrepreneurial empire by exploiting natural resources, ended up drowning in huge debts of one million rupees.

Against the Current: Almost a feature film

The dramatic arcs driven by Atanas Georgiev’s non-invasive editing make Against the Tide feel almost like a feature film. One wouldn’t even doubt that it was a documentary if it wasn’t brought to their attention. That’s why “Against the Tide” differs from Sarvnik’s debut documentary, which featured more talking heads in “The Ballads of Maladies” and is available to stream for free PBST’s YouTube channel.

Source: The New York Times

“Against the Tide” is a must-see climate change documentary from India that subtly conveys the message of capitalist greed by focusing on the story of two friends from different classes but the same Koli community.

“Against the Tide” is available to stream on MUBI.