seer mein manik moti lal
where did the pearls go?
A film by Ibad Hasan and Malika Singh · From Sindh to Gujarat
seer mein manik moti lal is an ongoing research project and documentary film between Sindh and Gujarat, documenting the lives and families of fishermen who have been detained near the Sir Creek disputed region between India and Pakistan. I have been conducting this research for the last nine months alongside my partner, Malika Singh.
A visual proof of concept made from our initial research material.
The Polis Project
Our findings were published as a long-form photo-essay in The Polis Project, from conversations with families of detained fishermen, to local activists and environmental activists.
We are currently underway with a semi-public crowdfunding campaign to support this cross-border pursuit and have successfully raised over 10,000 AED / 750K PKR for the production of our documentary.
The documentary is currently being filmed right now, across Sindh and Gujarat.
Our research has also taken us to explore literary and state archives, maps and official state documents.
We are also building an archive of photos across various fishing villages in Sindh and Gujarat. In Sindh, these include Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi Port, the West Wharf, strips of mangroves near Karachi's creeks, Lyari, the fishing villages of Ahmed Rajo and Bhugra Memon in Badin, and the borderlands of Sindh near the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD).
