Shadegan

Director, cinematographer and producer: Ako Salemi

Editor: Mohammad Shirvani

Sound designer: Hasan Mahdavi

Director's Assistant: Akbar Zaheri

15 minutes, Documentary, No Dialogue, 2020, Iran

On a golden morning, 12-year-old Milad sails out across the Shadegan Wetlands in Khuzestan, a province in southwestern Iran. He skillfully guides his slender boat over vast expanses of water, past untidy villages on the bank and swaying reeds. A dog ambles along the water’s edge, a cock crows in the distance. Like many locals, Milad and his family depend on the wildlife in and around the water for their livelihood. He does his part, but—as observed from a camera gliding calmly over the water—that doesn’t mean his day is exactly demanding. On the way to his fishing nets, he has plenty of time to linger. He plays a tune on a straw, takes a nap in the boat, and cooks himself some fish. The beautiful shots with hardly any dialogue show an apparently relaxed life, far away from the tyranny of mobile phones. Yet Milad’s life is by no means carefree, and here, too, the threat of drought and pollution looms.

IDFA Award 2020 (Winner of the Kids & Docs Award)

DOC NYC 2020 (Official Selection)

New Orleans Film Festival 2020 (Official Selection)

Ajyal Film Festival 2021 (Official Selection)

Visions du reel 2020 (Media library)

Jeunesse Tout Courts 2022 (Official Selection)