Mahera Omar
Sometimes Even the Shore Drowns
Cinematic Ode to Marine Life on Intertidal Mudflats
Year:
2022
Length:
17 min
Country:
Pakistan
Language:
Urdu
Director:
Mahera Omar
SYNOPSIS
Inspired by Rachel Carson’s 1955 book The Edge of the Sea, this short film is a cinematic ode to the myriad forms of marine life on the intertidal mudflats of Karachi. Between the ebb and flow of tides, the city’s exposed shoreline is home to a fish that walks on land, the mud crab that clings tenaciously to mangrove tree trunks, the mighty periwinkle, the bubbler crab that spits out sand balls and many other fascinating creatures. In and around mangrove forest creeks, amidst steaming vessels and a new skyline, the film takes you on a silent journey through a delicate wetland ecosystem on the shores of an industrial city that might soon disappear.
about the director
Mahera Omar is a filmmaker and co-founder of Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, a nonprofit that advocates biodiversity protection, environmental justice and compassion towards sentient beings. Her films have exhibited in Pakistan as well as at international film festivals including at Film South Asia, Istanbul International Architecture and Urban Films Festival and Delhi International Film Festival. Highlights of her filmography include ‘Perween Rahman – The Rebel Optimist’ and the Dream Journey’s musical travelogues. With an abiding interest in Karachi, its environment, plants and animals that share the city with its 20 million inhabitants, she works to document ecosystems that shape Karachi today.
