Synopsis
Jaime Estrada is the last artisanal fisherman in La Ramada cove, one of the most important ports of ancient Peru, with abundant flora and fauna. The beaches of northern Peru are disappearing due to coastal erosion, climate change and urban sprawl. Don Jaime is the guardian of La Ramada and the traditional techniques used by the fishermen of this area as many as two thousand years ago. Currently that beautiful beach exists only in his memory.
A word from Tënk
A landscape once rich in fauna and flora.
A beach engulfed by coastal erosion.
A beach deserted by the seaweed that used to dance there; few remain, reminiscent of their vanished counterparts.
A beach still inhabited, however, by the fisherman Jaime Estrada, who testifies to a bygone era. Resident of the coast, alone by the sea, the old fisherman does not fear solitude; protected by He who lives up above.
One wonders if the little chapel in the background is his alone, if it is bells or music that one perceives, the song of the waves in which he swims in order to fish or the rustle of the plastic bags upon which he walks. The human garbage is transformed into jewels that adorn his humble home.
This is not the only beach that is disappearing, the scourge is global and their erosion is unsettling. The means to protect the coasts do exist, it is just a matter of starting the machine, although implementation is complex, especially in countries whose economies depend upon seaside tourism.
A short narrated by nature itself, accompanied by the stories of the old fisherman, that divide our attention in two between the fascinating life of this man and that of the troubled state of his (and all of our) environment.
This documentary won the Best International Short Film Award from Cinéma sous les étoiles in 2021.
Gabrielle Ouimet
Tënk's Artistic Director
