The Fisherman and the Banker review – a coastal community’s astonishing fight for justice
Shot over 10 years, Sheena Sumaria’s documentary follows an Indian fishing village as it takes on global financial giants to protect its biodiversity and the residents’ livelihoods
A quiet coastal village in India’s Gulf of Kutch is the site of an ancient fishing community’s heroic battle against some of the largest financial institutions in the world. Once a vibrant place of rich biodiversity, the area underwent a dramatic transformation after Tata, India’s largest conglomerate, installed a coal-fired power plant despite local opposition. Soon after, fish began to disappear from the region, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem as well as the villagers’ livelihoods. Shot over 10 years, Sheena Sumaria’s compelling documentary witnesses an astonishing fight for justice, against all odds.
While operated by Tata, the plant was partially funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm. As a result, the fishers, with the help of environmental lawyers in Washington DC, brought a lawsuit against the IFC. Their claims, however, were dismissed by US courts, where judges deemed that the IFC, and by extension the World Bank, could not be held accountable for their investments. In this sense, such institutions are above the law. Still, hope remained, as the team continued to bring the case to the US supreme court.
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